Page 99 - South Mississippi Living - March, 2023

CAFÉ
Redfish Darwell with Yum Yum Sauce.
was born. It is delicious over angel hair pasta, but I suggest splurging and order it over the blackened fresh catch of the day.
If creole is your preferred style, the Shrimp and Smoked Sausage Creole is simply outstanding. Yeager’s butter and flour roux, along with freshly chopped samples of the cooking trinity, build the base for an absolutely incredible tomato gravy, reminiscent of something only genuine southern grandparents might cook. Blackened shrimp and large slices of Mississippi smoked sausage adorn the sauce, rounding out what quickly became my favorite meal of the day.
In true entrepreneurial fashion, behind every man is a great woman. In Yeager’s case, he is lucky to have two! Yeager’s wife, Nettie, and their daughter, Elizabeth, are holding their own in the kitchen and adding to the growing success of Darwell’s Happiness Café. Nettie has taken the reigns as pastry chef and dessert guru at Darwell’s, turning out life-changing sweets that will have you second guessing any confection you’ve eaten anywhere else.
From an early age, Nettie was taught to cook by her Choctaw grandmother using a wood burning stove, making her deeply connected to her desserts. She handcrafts chocolate brownies served with homemade ice cream and boasts a caramel bread pudding that has earned a spot in the top three bestdesserts I have eaten in my 40+ years. I will dream about this bread pudding until my next visit. Additionally, Elizabeth has quickly become an asset to the kitchen, prepping, cooking, and plating incredible dishes. Having the influences of two culinary savants, Elizabeth was bound to succeed in the kitchen, following in her parents’ footsteps while forging a path all her own.
All I can say is that Darwell’s is back and better than ever! Yeager’s philosophy is that you can control the ingredients and that you can control the fire, but beyond that, you can’t fight the food or the process. It must evolve naturally. Much like the food he so beautifully prepares, Yeager and the café itself have undergone an evolution, all the while remembering that his goal has and always will be serving Real Food for Real People.
Caramel Bread Pudding.
Shrimp and Smoked Sausage Creole.
Snickers Brownie.
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