Frosting - Ocean Springs, Mississippi

Frosting
Gourmet Filled Cupcakes
1204 Bienville Blvd., Suite 6
Ocean Springs, MS 39564
228-875-1027
Monday-Saturday: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
www.frostingshop.com


By Jane Feehan

A walk into Frosting is a walk into cupcake Disney World. The cheery pink and green décor plus the display and selection of their confectionary delights was enough to make a grownup downright giddy.

After trying one of their Cheesecake cupcakes (cheesecake filling oozed out of the little treasure) at a birthday party, I beat a path to Frosting to have another one of their creations. These are not your grandmother’s cupcakes – not with names like Peanut Butter and Jelly, Prozac, Piña Colada, and Fluffernutter. At my second Frosting experience I tried an Apple Cobbler cupcake dressed with a wonderful crumbled cobbler icing and filled with – what else – apples.

I brought home a Prozac they describe as classic chocolate/chocolate, a Red Velvet and yes, another Cheesecake. Different flavors are featured different days of the week: Monday you can pick up Carrot Cake or Lemon Berry; Tuesday, Orange Creamsicle … On Friday try Elvis’ Favorite (peanut butter icing).

This is only a sampling; check out their website above for the whole rundown. These culinary works of art come in different sizes and prices. Frosting also bakes up truffles, pastries and cakes.

Frosting is opening two other locations, one in D’Iberville and another in Gulfport. They need to open in a bigger market and they’d sell like hot … cakes. How about South Florida? Quick, someone get this place on the Oprah Show. © 2009 All rights reserved.

Camellia Cafe - Slidell, Louisiana

Camellia Café
525 Hwy 190 West (Gause Blvd. West)
Slidell, LA
985-649-6211
Monday-Thursday: 7 a.m.-9 p.m.
Friday-Saturday: 7 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Sunday: 8 a.m.-3 p.m.

www.thecamelliacafe.com

By Jane Feehan

I’ve driven by this place a few times and always find its parking lot nearly full. A busy restaurant in Louisiana is usually a good restaurant, so I pulled in recently to sample a meal.

Camellia Café serves so many things – burgers, ribs, steaks, a good selection of salads, red beans and rice, muffulettas – New Orleanians’ favorite sandwich - oysters, and shrimp. Some items that day not always on the menu were an oyster and artichoke dish, and a shrimp and squash casserole.

I settled on shrimp corn crab bisque – and wow; it was exceptionally good with a generous amount of seafood. The bisque tasted like it was made from scratch in a home kitchen. I guiltily followed that up with one of their new dishes – fried shrimp (I know - overkill but I hadn’t had it in years). The shrimp were fresh and the batter was light. The cocktail sauce could have been spicier so I just added a few drops of hot sauce from a bottle already on the table. An additional condiment of mayonnaise and horseradish added zip to the meal. There was enough to bring home for an entire second meal.

What also impressed me was the way the kitchen and wait staff interacted with each other – they were actually having fun. Camellia Café is a fun place. Breakfast, lunch and dinner served. Full bar. © 2009 All rights reserved.

Manhattan Grill - Ocean Springs, Mississippi

Manhattan Grill
705 Washington Avenue
Ocean Springs, Mississippi 34564
228-872-6480
Tuesday-Saturday: 5 p.m. until

By Jane Feehan

Manhattan Grill’s food is as sophisticated as its name suggests. Many go here for steaks; I like the seafood, there’s something for everyone.

The menu is large – and so are the portions. One can make a meal off the list of appetizers such as crab cakes or salmon on a bed of spinach or a variety of meat offerings. I ordered a cup of corn crab bisque, which was quite good, and then barely had room for the pan seared scallops decked out with large pieces of lump crabmeat in a light blue cheese-based sauce. The meal was fantastic even though I had to send it back to get the scallops seared just a little more. They were gracious about it and brought the meal back on a new plate with fresh sauce. The side of sautéed spinach, dotted with fresh garlic pieces was cooked perfectly – perhaps the best I’ve had. They packed my leftovers in two containers to separate the entrée from the vegetable and included the bread from the basket I didn’t finish. That’s service.

Manhattan Grill also features prime steaks, lamb, chicken, other meats, pasta and a variety of fresh fish. The lounge, which has tables for dining, draws friendly locals who stop by to catch up on neighborhood news or to watch a game on TV. Full bar. Moderate to expensive – and worth it. Best parking is along the street. Service: excellent. © 2009 All rights reserved

For restaurants in Oxford, Mississippi, visit www.eatingoxford.com

Vera's Seafood - Slidell, Louisiana

Vera’s Seafood
2020 Gause Blvd. #108
Slidell, LA
985-690-9814
Closed Mondays
Tuesday – Thursday: 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Friday- Saturday: 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.

By Jane Feehan

Before Hurricane Katrina, Vera’s was lakeside with a view. It’s in a non-descript shopping center now but the food is still good.

They offer seafood dishes such as crab meat au gratin and shrimp several different ways. Lots of folks come here for the Po Boys decked out with hamburger, shrimp, roast beef or other items.

I ordered stuffed shrimp (crab meat and bread) and sweet potato fries. When the dish arrived, it looked more like hushpuppies with shrimp tails. Lots of stuffing around some small shrimp but it was tasty. The salad was mostly iceberg lettuce but the blue cheese dressing came with big chunks of the stuff.

Nothing of the meal, however, matched the dessert of wonderful bread pudding with raisins and small pieces of pineapple, topped off with a delicious plum sauce. This may be enough to bring me back. My meal came to about $18 without alcohol but there are plenty of ways to get out of there for less.

Vera’s has a loyal following. This is a casual place, very low on atmosphere. Beer and wine served.© 2009 All rights reserved.

Yuki's - Biloxi, Mississippi

Yuki’s
2389 Pass Road
Biloxi, MS 39531
228-388-2233

Monday-Friday:
Lunch 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Dinner 5 p.m. - 10 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday – 11 a.m.- 10 p.m.

By Jane Feehan

There’s a large, glitzy electronic sign in the baggage area of the Gulfport–Biloxi International Airport with a picture of a woman in ethnic garb beckoning visitors to Yuki’s – a Japanese steak and sushi restaurant.

Run the other way. It’s a dismal place that belies the cheer and sophistication of the airport ad.

Before I opened the door, the heavy odor of grease nearly stopped me in my tracks. Upon being seated, I was handed a four-page plastic bound menu that was falling apart and dirty. If they don’t care about the menu they show customers what the heck goes on in the kitchen?

I’ve been here several times since Hurricane Katrina. Many were grateful for an open restaurant after the storm; there wasn’t much to choose from. Yuki’s was a refuge – for a time.

Today, the sushi is just OK; most items on the menu are tempura cooked – fried – and taste of grease. The food in the hibachi side isn’t bad but it took two hours to get lunch one day. That was two years after the storm.

On my last visit – and it will be the last – I ordered stir fried vegetables and chicken, which was little more than bean sprouts out of a bag, some random pieces of broccoli and a few tiny bits of chicken.

Yuki’s seems to have declined since the storm. It’s not as clean, paint is chipped off the walls – and I don’t see Yuki anymore. Maybe that’s the problem. 2009 All rights reserved.

Biloxi Sunsets - Cosmic Compensation

No fall foliage here but the spectacular sunsets seem to be cosmic compensation.

Ole Biloxi Schooner Seafood Restaurant - Biloxi, Mississippi

Ole Biloxi Schooner Seafood Restaurant
871 Howard Ave. (Across the street from the cathedral, Nativity B.V.M.)
Biloxi, MS 39530
228-435-8071
Monday-Friday: 7 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Friday and Saturday: 7 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Closed Sunday
http://schooner.biloxi.tk

By Jane Feehan

This store front eatery, located in downtown Biloxi, draws the business community, legal eagles from the nearby courthouse and law offices, and workers from government buildings. Law enforcement also frequents the Schooner and that's usually a sign of reasonable and good food.

The restaurant has plenty to draw tourists from nearby Beach Boulevard, whether to an inexpensive breakfast, a lunch of local seafood favorites or a tasty special of the day such as meatloaf or baked chicken. One tourist of note, President George W. Bush, lunched at this spot on the second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina – no doubt to get a real feel for and taste of Biloxi.

Seafood gumbo, crawfish etoufee, crab burgers, crab platters, fried seafood and Po Boys highlight the lunch/dinner menu. I enjoyed a seafood salad top heavy with shrimp, lightly accented in crab meat and decked out in green and black olives and tomatoes. I indulged in a side order of delicious hushpuppies – piping hot and crispy on the outside and tasty with bits of onion on the inside – just the way hushpuppies should be.

Plans are underway for an oyster bar with cold beer in the same building. Currently, no alcohol served. Service: Good. © 2009 All rights reserved.

Lil' Ray's - Gulfport, Mississippi

Lil’ Ray's
500 A Courthouse Road
Gulfport, Mississippi
Monday & Tuesday: 10:30 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Wednesday-Saturday: 10:30 a.m. - 9 p.m.
228-896-9601
www.lilraysrestaurant.com

By Jane Feehan

Lil’ Ray’s is t-shirt, flip flop causal with picnic-table dining. This strip shopping center restaurant is known for its Po Boys and boiled seafood.

Po Boys come in several varieties including roast beef, ham and cheese, ribeye steak, hamburger, oyster, catfish, shrimp, and soft shell crab. The shrimp version is a winner. Lil’ Ray’s serves - and is known for - boiled shrimp, boiled crawfish and steamed Royal Reds (shrimp). Diners may also choose oysters, fried seafood platters or fish entrees. Caveat: stick to what this place is known for – Po Boys and boiled seafood. I strayed from their top tier offerings once to have crab cakes and, in spite of the interesting fruit and vegetable topping served on the side, they were not good. Also, most fish they use for entrees is frozen. Again, Lil' Ray's does an outstanding job on the items that earned its reputation.

Ice cold beer is served; there’s no wine. Lil Ray’s draws a big lunch crowd. Servce: good. © 2009 All rights reserved.

Lizzy's Cafe - Pass Christian, Mississippi -CLOSED

CLOSED
Lizzy’s Cafe
124 Davis Ave. (off Hwy 90, turn at the Hancock Bank)
Pass Christian, MS
Monday-Friday: 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday: 7 a.m.-3 p.m.
Friday: Tapas 5 -10 p.m.
Saturday: BBQ 5-10 p.m.
228-452-9494
http://lizzyscafe.com/

By Jane Feehan

Lizzy’s is a cheerful eatery with plenty of promise for a good time. The old house the restaurant occupies was damaged by Hurricane Katrina. Since then, it has been renovated and moved to within eyeshot of the Mississippi Sound by its new owner who also runs the Mockingbird Café in Bay St. Louis.

With an eclectic bill of fare, Lizzy’s aims to please. Portions are large, food is fresh and there is an interesting variety of items on the breakfast (served all day), lunch and dinner menus. I ordered their version of a Greek salad – loaded with olives, Feta cheese and smoked turkey – and wasn’t disappointed.

Breakfast features blueberry pancakes, banana brioche French toast, grits, omelets, and other egg items. Salads, sandwiches and burgers highlight the lunch menu and the Friday evening tapas choice offers Bruschetta, seared scallops, salmon salad, pan-sauteed crab cakes – even crawfish and shrimp tacos. The fussy eater wouldn’t have a problem finding something here.

Lizzy's works hard to attract the locals with porch-side music on Friday evenings when tapas are served and on Saturday BBQ nights. An occasional evening is set aside for sushi lovers. Wine by the glass or bottle is available as is beer. Latte and cappuccino are also served.

This café may not look like much on the outside, but the interior is stylish with its stark white walls embellished with local art, polished hardwood floors and brightly painted royal blue or aqua chairs. No country road stop, Lizzy’s provides sophisticated food and atmosphere at a reasonable price. Children’s menu available. Lizzy’s is a welcome sign of Pass Christian Hurricane Katrina recovery. Service: good. ©2009 All rights reserved.

McElroy's - Ocean Springs, Mississippi

McElroy’s
705 Bienville Blvd.
Ocean Springs, MS
228-818-4600

Sunday-Thursday: 7 a.m.-9 p.m.
Friday and Saturday: 7 a.m.-10 p.m.

By Jane Feehan

Flood lights (OK - bright lights), chipped glasses, stale crackers, and tableware one grade above plastic will keep me from returning to McElroy's - even if the food is passable.

This eatery used to be on Beach Boulevard in Biloxi until Hurricane Katrina washed it away. McElroy's must have been a tourist trap then as it is now operating in Ocean Springs. There’s lots of seafood but it’s expensive for this type of establishment. I had broiled shrimp, which, though small were good, a baked potato, salad and two glasses of wine: $28 plus tip. It got me yearning for the "appetizer" of barbequed shrimp (huge) at Deanie's in New Orleans for $10.95 that I couldn't finish.

It’s the little things that make for a good meal – a good experience - and it’s not at McElroy’s. Service: good. © 2009 All rights reserved.

Biloxi, Mississippi: Summer -- or winter?

By Jane Feehan

Travel by car between Biloxi, Miss. and New Orleans takes just over an hour. There’s plenty to compare or contrast about the two cities: different states, different Hurricane Katrina damage – and different recovery. But there is something else when it comes to their respective tourist seasons. As Biloxi slows down in October and November things ramp up in New Orleans.

Both cities share the same weather. The differences in tourist season timing may be that people think beach when they think about Biloxi in the summer; when New Orleans comes to mind most imagine an intolerably hot walk through the French Quarter – and they are right. The fall is friendlier to the Crescent City visitor.

Not to place Biloxi in the same league as New Orleans, but if the Mississippi gambling mecca is worth coming to in the summer, try the winter. And if you've come from afar to Biloxi, a trip to New Orleans is also in order.

For those of you who know Hurricane Katrina made landfall in Mississippi and not in New Orleans, the recovery is going splendidly. Oh, and something else about Biloxi this time of year: speckled trout and red fish are running in the Mississippi Sound and flocks of spectacular birds are flying overhead on their way south for the winter. Some birds even stop for a few hours to grab a bite at the beach. © 2009 All rights reserved.

Le Bakery & Cafe - Biloxi, Mississippi

Le Bakery and Café
280 Oak Street (off Beach Blvd.)
Biloxi, MS 39530
228-436-0850
Tuesday – Saturday: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday: 8:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Closed Mondays


By Jane Feehan

Yes, there’s a little bit of France in Biloxi and it’s not far off the beach, near the casinos. It’s Le Bakery & Café, a French-Vietnamese establishment that makes the best pastry and French bread along the Mississippi Coast. You’d have to drive to New Orleans to find a bakery as good.

Their fruit-filled pastries are light and flaky and luscious. They also make cakes, cookies, tarts, Asian desserts and smoothies. Le Bakery serves Po Boys on their French bread with variations of pork – pork meatballs, pork sausage – and chicken. These sell for about $3, a bargain.

This is not a pretentious place; it’s basically a bakery with a few tables for those who want to eat sweets or a small lunch or can’t bear the drive home with the wonderful aroma of Le Bakery’s delights floating out the bag throughout the car.

The Court of Two Sisters - New Orleans, Louisiana

Court of Two Sisters
613 Royal Street
New Orleans, LA 70130
504-522-7261
Jazz Brunch daily: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
A la carte dinner nightly: 5:30 p.m.-10 p.m.

www.courtoftwosisters.com

By Jane Feehan

When the heat and lethargy of the New Orleans summer lifts in the fall, eating outdoors is a terrific way to celebrate kinder weather. That’s when a visit to the Court of Two Sisters is in order. Its bustling, cheerful and tree-lined courtyard provides the perfect setting to usher in good weather – and the tourist season.

Their brunch, accompanied by jazzy New Orleans live music, offers the standard fare of brunches and a few of their signature items such as duck a L’Orange and bread pudding in whiskey sauce. In addition to shrimp and crawfish, I enjoyed perfectly carved turkey with excellent gravy laden with vegetables. The menu changes with the seasons.

A walk along Royal Street to the restaurant may set a festive mood for a meal; the street serves as stage for musicians, singers, dancers and magicians – all top-notch performers.

The site of the Court of Two Sisters was first a home to a royal governor of colonial Louisiana (1726-1733) and later a shop owned by two sisters who died in 1944

The service: outstanding. © 2009 All rights reserved.

Pasta Italia Trattoria - Gulfport, Mississippi

Pasta Italia Trattoria
1621 30th Avenue
Gulfport, MS 39501
228-863-4600
Lunch: Tuesday-Friday 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
Dinner: Tuesday-Saturday 5:30 p.m. – ‘til

www.trattoriapastaitalia.com

By Jane Feehan

It’s hard to find a good, authentic Italian restaurant along the Mississippi Coast. I tried Pasta Italia Trattoria in Gulfport this week and am still searching.

This trattoria seems to be struggling and it’s not hard to eat why. The salad came out on a chilled plate – good - but was dressed in oil and canned parmesan cheese only – bad. The bread received the same parmesan treatment. I ordered a pasta sampling dish, which was primarily a selection of ravioli - sparse, drenched in a soupy white sauce (Alfredo?) and co-mingled with the red sauce from a piece of cannelloni. Most of the pasta was tough on the edges and tops from microwaving. The tasteless tiramisu served for dessert sealed my opinion.

Though a rather dreary unassuming place from the outside, Pasta Italia Trattoria’s interior provides contrast with its crisp white tablecloths and napkins and somewhat pleasant atmosphere.

A note on how this evening began: I went alone on a Thursday evening before 6 p.m. and was escorted to a table near a restroom, away from the main dining area. I was the only customer at that hour. By the time I left, only 12 others were there including a father and toddler who were also relegated to the same area of outcasts as was I. A gentleman who came in alone was granted a seat in the main area with the couples. This is outdated mid 20th-century thinking.

Alcohol is not served, bring your own. ©2009 All rights reserved.