Page 18 - South Mississippi Living - May, 2024

www.smliving.net
| SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living
Mary Mahoney's Old French House Restaurant 110 Rue Magnolia, Biloxi 228.374.0163 www.marymahoneys.com
COAST NOTE
story by Lynn Lofton
Mary Mahoney’s Old French House Restaurant is celebrating 60 years and has aged well. It continues to be an icon of Coast dining. It was opened on Ascension Thursday, May 7, 1964, by Mary Mahoney, her husband Bob and her brother Andrew Cvitanovich.
“When Mary was evicted from the Tivoli Hotel Lounge in 1961, she decided to purchase a historic old home located in downtown Biloxi that locals called the Old French House and convert it into a restaurant,” says Andrea Cvitanovich Osman. “Mary didn’t know a lot about operating a restaurant but she surrounded herself with friends and family who helped. Her brother, Andrew Cvitanovich, sold his shrimp boat for capital and left the shrimping industry to join the journey of pursuing Mary’s dream.”
The old French House provided ambiance and Southern charm as the perfect background for the years of outstanding food that were to follow. The restaurant fed the Mississippi senatorial and congressional staff for six years in Washington, D.C., and was honored in 1984 to serve President Ronald Reagan and Vice-President George Bush on the east lawn of the White House. Many other luminaires have been fed through the years.
“The Mahoney and Cvitanovich families believe our continued success
as a business can be attributed to the many memories that have been created here,” Osman said. “We have become a landmark that locals choose to celebrate life's milestones. People who visited the restaurant as children on vacation now come with their own families.”
She says the family continues to emulate Mary’s passion and enthusiasm for people by treating all patrons
with the same type of commitment
to hospitality and love of service that Mary herself exuded. “We believe this commitment to service has elevated Mary Mahoney’s to a national level where celebrities and many more seek us out as a 'must-see' establishment to visit.”
The popular seafood gumbo on the menu is the original recipe from 1964. “Over the years some of our top selling menu items have been added such as the broiled crab claws, fried soft shell crabs, Queen Ixolib stuffed fish, char broiled oysters, flounder imperial, bread pudding with rum sauce and praline parfait,” Osman said.
The family attributes a huge part
of their success to the dedication, commitment, and longevity of their loyal employees. “Many have worked here for 20, 30 and 40 years,” Osman said. “Even the retired ones are still considered family and come around often to visit.”
18 | May 2024
photos courtesy of Mary Mahoney's Old French House Restaurant