Biloxi’s rich history started with the original Biloxi people, who lived in the region prior to the arrival of Pierre Le Moyne Sieur dIberville. He never encountered the Biloxi until he landed on the mainland shortly after arriving on Ship Island in 1699 to claim the country for France. France ruled the province until 1770, when it was transferred to England, who then gave it to Spain nine years later. Mississippi became America’s 20th state in 1817.
The hotel sector grew in popularity throughout the 1800s. Because of the wonderful temperature, the beautiful shoreline, and the abundance of seafood, Biloxi restaurants and hotels began to spring up. During the Civil War, when most of the southern interior was ravaged, Biloxi was gradually able to return to the business of hosting people who wanted to go back to normal after the war. Northern visitors were lured by the L & N Railroad, while affluent southerners erected vacation houses along the beach.
Biloxi was one-of-a-kind. From the outset, there was always a mingling of civilizations. This distinguished the seashore from other sections of the south. The fish business employed people from the Spanish, French, English, Irish, African, Cajun, and Native American cultures, who harvested, canned, and built ships.
Biloxi had become the Seafood Capital of the World at the turn of the century as a result of their efforts. Fresh immigrants were constantly coming in search of work. It began with Poles and Croatians, and by the 1970s, Vietnamese had joined the workforce. This is why the food is so varied. Menus and festival food will reflect worldwide influences. It all begins with the abundance of oysters and shrimp that Biloxi has long been renowned for.
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Contents
The Top 5 Restaurants in Biloxi
The Restaurant and Lounge at White Pillars
Beach Boulevard + 1 (228) 207-08851696
White Pillars’ chef-owner, Austin Sumrall, is a Mississippi native. He learned to appreciate the country and its resources while growing up on a cattle and horse ranch near McComb. A graduate of the University of Mississippi with a degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management, Austin pursued his love for cooking.
At the CIA at Hyde Park, New York, he got traditional training. At Ole Miss, he met his wife Tresse, who is also from Mississippi. The pair returned home to create White Pillars after working for three separate James Beard Award-winning chefs. After that, he was named a James Beard Foundation Semifinalist for Best Chef: South.
Sumrall’s vision for White Pillars is to highlight Mississippi artists in both gastronomy and workmanship. The gorgeous historical structure incorporates Gulf seafood, vegetables, protein, handcrafted artisan dish ware, and furnishings. The stylishly refurbished rooms are decorated with historic artifacts, and the mahogany bar is renowned.
Originating from the Blackstone Hotel in Chicago, regular guests such as the Vanderbilts and luminaries like as Lena Horne and Nat King Cole, as well as mobsters Lucky Luciano and Al Capone, sipped drinks there. The site was added on the National Register of Historic Places in 2015.
My companion and I began with the multi-tiered Gulf Seafood Tower. There were eight plump briny oysters on top. Little plates of swordfish Kokoda, smoked Gulf fish dip, Mahi Crudo, shrimp ceviche, and four huge peel and eat shrimp with different sauces were served on the second floor. The accompanying handmade crackers were wafer-thin, crunchy, and lightly salted.
This sensory and gastronomic feast was fantastic. The oysters were very fresh. I topped them with all of the sauces, my favorite being the basic shallot mignonette. While we watched the sunset, we drank our homemade drinks and enjoyed the dips and views of the Sound from the patio.
We went inside to finish our supper. After that, we snacked on handmade bread with three little dollops of flavored lards sprinkled or drizzled with honey or salts. They were delicious and came in a vase and a board made by local artists. Our main meals of Confit Rabbit Pappardelle with saffron pasta, Bentons Country ham, Deckle farms roasted squash, preserved lemon, and Grana Padano were subtle yet fulfilling. That was the epitome of comfort food. The rabbit was light and tasty, and the squash was sweet, which contrasted well with the saffron pasta.
My beef wellington wasn’t wrapped in pastry so it could be wood-grilled to order and served atop crisp potatoes, creamed spinach, and foie gras mousse. It was then topped with a towering piece of puff pastry. We shared both meals and couldn’t get enough of the delectable tastes.
Unfortunately, we did not have space for dessert, but I am sure it would have been mind-blowing in line with the prior meals. White Pillars is a casual yet one-of-a-kind spot to have a date night or supper with close friends. A fantastic excellent dining experience in Biloxi.
Bakery Le
+228 (436-0850) 280 Oak Street
Sue Nguyen-Torjusen was in second grade when her family relocated to Biloxi from Vietnam in the early 1980s. They came to pursue the American dream and established an Asian grocery shop. Sue helped out around the house and trained herself to bake. Her parents expanded their grocery shop with a tiny bakery stand.
After her father died away in 1999, she chose to finish one chapter and begin another. Her genuine love, Le Bakery, was born. Sue bought the premises on Oak Street in 2004 and specialized on French pastries and bread, but Hurricane Katrina destroyed her business in August 2005. She was back up and running after approximately six months (when electricity was restored and supplies could be reordered). Her crisp baguettes, sweets, and Vietnamese Poboys, French bread packed with Asian-inspired contents, quickly garnered a cult following.
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Le Bakery is open six days a week and makes everything from scratch. Customers come in for French pastries, tarts, bread, cookies, and wedding cakes, as well as Asian delicacies and smoothies. Her Vietnamese Bnh Mi also has a devoted following. It’s a Vietnamese-style Poboy, and it’s excellent.
I went in to have a coconut curry chicken Poboy. It comes on an eight-inch baguette with garlic mayonnaise, julienned carrots, marinated daikon, onions, cilantro, and fiery jalapeo slices. There are at least 10 distinct types that you may customize in any manner you want since they are produced fresh to order.
The sandwiches are filling and the pricing are fair. I wish I lived there so I could try them all and then start again. This is the place to go in Biloxi for baked pastries and Vietnamese cuisine.
Porter’s Greenhouse
228-327-0579404 Porter Avenue
It began with a greenhouse in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, and has now expanded to a second facility in Biloxi. Greenhouse on Porter Square is a great addition to GE Ohr Street, with excellent coffees, teas, scratch-made biscuits, jams, butter, and biscuit sandwiches.
Strangers Friends introduced Kait Sukiennik and Jessie Zenor. Their common friends predicted that they would work well together in business due to their similar outlooks, and they were correct. Their basic idea was to bring people together over food and coffee, particularly those incredible, scratch-made biscuits. From there, you may make anything, including sandwiches and sweets. I chose a sweet potato biscuit with honey butter and a cup of coffee to keep things simple.
I couldve chosen eggs and bacon, but I wanted to sample the biscuit. I was pleased with my selection and was in taste paradise. A flaky biscuit with sweet butter to bring out the potato flavor in the dough was ideal. My coffee was also delicious. The wonderful artwork on the walls and the little flowers on the table with sprigs of baby’s breath made my day. Make a point of visiting this one-of-a-kind Biloxi brunch spot.
Patio 44
Main Street, +1 (228) 207-2628124
Ron Savell, a restauranteur from Hattiesburg, Mississippi, desired something unique for his new restaurant idea. Josh and Crystal Rogers, two of his pals, worked as restaurant managers and menu planners. They assisted him in developing the concept of a chef-driven meal with an extensive wine and drink menu with quality options created locally and from across the globe. That succeeded, and he expanded into Biloxi and Gulfport. The Biloxi outdoor terrace is in the midst of town yet feels secluded. For lunch or supper, the traditional creole menu includes staples as well as a new touch on seafood and steaks.
At supper, I joined a buddy for some appetizers and beverages. The bar’s speciality drinks were all innovative and included fresh-squeezed juices if the ingredients called for it. I chose the Bees Knees Bar Hill gin, agave, lemon juice, and ginger ale cocktail, which was light and delightful.
When blue crabs are in season, we got crab claws with garlic butter. We found them fresh and delicious sauteed with garlic butter sauce. Then, we savored the pea saut, field peas, applewood bacon, okra, tomatoes, and roasted garlic aioli, on delicious cornbread. I’m not sure why this recipe is so delicious, but it is, and the flavors complement each other beautifully. It’s meaty and satisfying, but it’s also addicting.
We finally decided on the blue crab fondue with three types of cheese and a toasted baguette since we needed to eat more crab. Patio 44’s patio is busy and enjoyable. It’s ideal for outdoor eating since it’s both informal and classy. The cuisine is superb, with a variety ranging from sandwiches to filet mignon. No matter your taste, this Biloxi restaurant will delight you.
The Fillin Station at Ole Biloxi
228-435-252-2692 Howard Avenue
The Ole Biloxi Filling Station is unpretentious. It is, in reality, an ancient, converted gas station with an outdoor patio and a modest inside dining space with a bustling bar scene within. They are well-known for its Cajun cuisine, which includes Poboys, crawfish boils, and crawfish nachos. They do, however, feature a complete bar with specialty drinks and a menu with seafood options, burgers, and daily specials, all in a quirky gas station on the corner of Howard Avenue. We dropped in for a local beer, a Biloxi-brewed Fly Llama.
We sat outside and got the legendary crawfish nachos. Because of its closeness to Louisiana and Mississippi’s Cajun influences, crawfish is particularly popular in Biloxi. All night, they were cooking crawfish for clients.
Our order arrived with enough food to serve 10 people. Layers of tortilla chips with melted cheddar cheese, pico de gallo, sweet and spicy sauce, and lots of crawfish, jalapeos, and onions make up this dish. The massive plate garnered honors for being the finest in town. We couldn’t possibly eat it all, so we started up a discussion with an adjacent table and gave them the remainder.
They were more than glad to finish it. The cuisine is good, the staff are nice, the customers are regulars, and the atmosphere is enjoyablea must-visit restaurant in Biloxi.