Sometimes you nd the best fresh food when you least expect it. Piling into the car for a road trip, in just six hours my best friend and I had sea air whipping through our hair, a lovely view of a storm coming in across the Gulf and our rst fresh catch of the day. Instead of spending an entire day or more driving to the mountains or Florida, we chose the quickest path to wiggling our toes in white sand, the Gulf Coast of Mississippi and Alabama.
After following Interstate 20 across Louisiana to Jackson, Miss., we had only been traveling Highway 49 South an hour before we saw a road sign for our first delicacy – hot boiled peanuts. For the uninitiated, plump raw peanuts are boiled in a seasoned brine until the legumes inside are rm yet soft. They are eaten as a snack, like edamame, trying to crack the shells between your teeth, suck the brine and pluck out the plump peanuts without getting the juice on you. Well worth the effort.
Arriving in Gulfport, Miss., we were driving along the Coast appreciating the beach recreation and the lovely bungalows and plantations bordering Beach Boulevard, when we noticed the White Cap Seafood restaurant, which has been in business more than 40 years. Any local restaurant still busy at 3 p.m. warranted further investigation, especially since breakfast had been seven hours earlier.
Seated on the covered deck watching a beautiful storm rolling in across the Gulf, we found the seafood sampler even better than anticipated. The standard stuffed crab, scallops and fried crab claws were plated with fresh Gulf shrimp, fried oysters from their own private oyster beds and the fresh catch of the day, speckled trout. Everything was cooked to a perfect delicate texture, and we were especially pleased that each type of seafood seemed to be cooked in its own special light seasoned batter. Try this simple tactic during your next sh fry to keep each delicious seafood avor from blending together.
The next morning, we greeted the sunrise over the Gulf with an aromatic cup of coffee at McElroy’s in Biloxi, Miss. Struggling in our caffeine-deficient state to make a decision, our waitress recommended the shrimp and grits with a side of beignets. Living in Louisiana, this is hard to say, but I don’t think I’ve ever had a better beignet.
McElroy’s thick wedge of lightly fried grits had no trouble standing up to the rich creamy sauce filled with plump medium shrimp laden upon it. As if the sauce alone were not enough, a generous portion of crumbled crispy bacon garnished the bowl.
Taking advantage of the sporadic rain that would keep us from sunning on the beach, we decided to continue our driving tour along the Gulf on Highway 90 stopping at parks, ports and piers along the way.
Just over the bridge from Biloxi in the picturesque town of Ocean Springs, Miss., we discovered Washington Avenue running between Highway 90 and tranquil Front Beach Road. Neighbors were talking over the fence, people dressed for work were walking and biking, and traf c had been re-routed around a very old tree marked with a low clearance sign hanging over the street.
Here among the businesses, shops and galleries, we found French Kiss Pastries. The last time I saw handmade pastries and croissants so beautifully prepared with light layers and rich golden color, I was actually in France. The owner and pastry chef, Jacqueline Ladnier, said many Americans are of the mindset that deep golden color is burnt. The French chef who trained her and her mother would always say, when they tried to remove the trays from the oven too soon, “Color is flavor put it back in the oven.” The pistachio-tipped cannoli, fresh fruit tarts and pecan pie-filled croissant twists were so delicious we brought a box home.
The next day traveling to the ferry on Dauphin Island, Ala., our unerring coffee sense and a small white sign directed us to the Lighthouse Bakery on Chaumont Avenue. Set in a lovingly restored home circa 1912, the long, deep porch and bright rooms beckon you to relax and enjoy a cup of Lighthouse coffee roasted in nearby Mobile. The cases are lled with fresh breads and Danish pastry, but if you are lucky enough to arrive on a Sunday, Chef Mary Scarcliff may have a batch of toasted almond sticky buns covered in fresh-made caramel. Next trip, we hope to stop in early enough for lunch to try her omelets made with fresh crab purchased each morning at the port just up the street near Mobile Bay.
Rain or shine, there are miles of relaxing places to dine on fresh caught or handmade foods along the Gulf coast. Enjoy a meandering drive, or just ask the locals.
Lynn Laird is a writer, fine artist and self-professed bon vivant living in Bossier. With “Flair for Cooking,” she seeks out interesting ingredients and techniques to help make everyday meals just a touch more fabulous. She can reached at flairforcooking@gmail. com.
