Happy Anniversary from Mary Mahoney's on the MS Gulf Coast
Happy Wednesday everyone! I'm back from spending a wonderful 36 hours with my parents. On Tuesday we celebrated their 42nd wedding anniversary! I don't care who you are, 42 years is a LONG time to be married to the same person! :-)
We drove down to the Mississippi Gulf Coast, to the town of Biloxi. A little background for you on Biloxi...From the 1940's on, Biloxi was home to "illegal but we don't care, and we'll do it in your face" style gambling. However, it was a small town and you could only gamble in one place - the Broadwater Beach Resort. Folks all over the US gradually began to "discover" Biloxi as a tourist destination and many saw it as an alternative to visiting Florida or New Orleans. During the early 1990's, the politicians finally saw the light and decided to allow casino gambling. We know what they were thinking, right? TAX REVENUE! One by one, the big casinos like Beau Rivage, Isle of Capri Casino, Imperial Palace and Treasure Bay came to town. What happened then? Everyone flocked to the casinos, and a lot of the local restaurants with "character" were forced out. You know, victims of the "big bad" Vegas style casinos and their seafood buffets, comps and value meals. (Shopaholic is NOT a fan of the pig trough, AKA buffet).
One of the restaurants that "made it" was Mary Mahoney's Old French House. (They also survived 8 foot of water during Hurricane Katrina, but that's another post for another day). Do you recognize the name? You may, because the restaurant has quite the celebrity following for a little place in coastal Mississippi. One of my favorite authors, John Grisham, frequents Mary Mahoney's and has mentioned them in several of his novels, including "The Runaway Juror" and "The Partner". Mr. Grisham's fictional characters always order up a beer or two and the seafood gumbo at the bar. Elvis himself loved to partake of the fried seafood at Mahoney's (local speak). Denzel Washington prefers the seafood gumbo when he stops by, and Robin Roberts of ESPN, then ABC News fame, has also helped put them "on the map". Then we have the current Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre and his wife Deanna. They live in Kiln, MS (pronounced KILL) which is a short drive to Mahoney's.
We had a marvelous dinner at Mary Mahoney's. Here is a picture of their courtyard, complete with a 2000 year old oak tree called "The Patriach" by locals:
We sat on "The Front Porch":
Shrimp and Crabmeat Au Gratin topped with Lump Crabmeat, THE appetizer:
For my entree, the "Fish of the Day" - Grilled Yellowfin Tuna, topped with Lump Crabmeat and a side of Crawfish Etouffee on angel hair pasta.
Can you say "FOOD COMA"??? Oh there was also salad, served with one of their homemade dressings, Thousand Island. Don't get me wrong, I love oil & vinegar mixes, raspberry vinagerette, etc but HERE it's Thousand Island. :-)
It was a wonderful evening, and I felt soooo blessed to share the time with my parents. After years of living away from my family, I am more thankful than ever to be able to join these celebrations!
If you ever make it to Biloxi, be sure to visit Mary Mahoney's. What's there not to ♥ about a restaurant that proudly boasts "we'll add lump crabmeat to anything on the menu"?!? You can visit their official website HERE, but know you'll get hungry if you look at more pictures! Added bonus - Hard Rock Hotel & Casino is right across the street so you can walk to gamble or walk to dine. Shopaholic does not really gamble, you all know I'd rather spend my $$ on clothing or shoes or cosmetics or accessories, or......you fill in the blanks!
p.s. Shopaholic wasn't compensated by Mary Mahoney's, Hard Rock, or the City of Biloxi. I WISH!!!! I do love my Gulf coast, and I plan to gradually share more of my favorite places with you. Maybe next time I'll talk about Destin, FL or New Orleans. Who knows? Enjoy!
WINNER OF THE AVEDA GIVEAWAY WILL BE POSTED WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON! Can't wait! Until then, make it a GREAT day!
We drove down to the Mississippi Gulf Coast, to the town of Biloxi. A little background for you on Biloxi...From the 1940's on, Biloxi was home to "illegal but we don't care, and we'll do it in your face" style gambling. However, it was a small town and you could only gamble in one place - the Broadwater Beach Resort. Folks all over the US gradually began to "discover" Biloxi as a tourist destination and many saw it as an alternative to visiting Florida or New Orleans. During the early 1990's, the politicians finally saw the light and decided to allow casino gambling. We know what they were thinking, right? TAX REVENUE! One by one, the big casinos like Beau Rivage, Isle of Capri Casino, Imperial Palace and Treasure Bay came to town. What happened then? Everyone flocked to the casinos, and a lot of the local restaurants with "character" were forced out. You know, victims of the "big bad" Vegas style casinos and their seafood buffets, comps and value meals. (Shopaholic is NOT a fan of the pig trough, AKA buffet).
One of the restaurants that "made it" was Mary Mahoney's Old French House. (They also survived 8 foot of water during Hurricane Katrina, but that's another post for another day). Do you recognize the name? You may, because the restaurant has quite the celebrity following for a little place in coastal Mississippi. One of my favorite authors, John Grisham, frequents Mary Mahoney's and has mentioned them in several of his novels, including "The Runaway Juror" and "The Partner". Mr. Grisham's fictional characters always order up a beer or two and the seafood gumbo at the bar. Elvis himself loved to partake of the fried seafood at Mahoney's (local speak). Denzel Washington prefers the seafood gumbo when he stops by, and Robin Roberts of ESPN, then ABC News fame, has also helped put them "on the map". Then we have the current Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre and his wife Deanna. They live in Kiln, MS (pronounced KILL) which is a short drive to Mahoney's.
We had a marvelous dinner at Mary Mahoney's. Here is a picture of their courtyard, complete with a 2000 year old oak tree called "The Patriach" by locals:
We sat on "The Front Porch":
Shrimp and Crabmeat Au Gratin topped with Lump Crabmeat, THE appetizer:
For my entree, the "Fish of the Day" - Grilled Yellowfin Tuna, topped with Lump Crabmeat and a side of Crawfish Etouffee on angel hair pasta.
It was a wonderful evening, and I felt soooo blessed to share the time with my parents. After years of living away from my family, I am more thankful than ever to be able to join these celebrations!
If you ever make it to Biloxi, be sure to visit Mary Mahoney's. What's there not to ♥ about a restaurant that proudly boasts "we'll add lump crabmeat to anything on the menu"?!? You can visit their official website HERE, but know you'll get hungry if you look at more pictures! Added bonus - Hard Rock Hotel & Casino is right across the street so you can walk to gamble or walk to dine. Shopaholic does not really gamble, you all know I'd rather spend my $$ on clothing or shoes or cosmetics or accessories, or......you fill in the blanks!
p.s. Shopaholic wasn't compensated by Mary Mahoney's, Hard Rock, or the City of Biloxi. I WISH!!!! I do love my Gulf coast, and I plan to gradually share more of my favorite places with you. Maybe next time I'll talk about Destin, FL or New Orleans. Who knows? Enjoy!
WINNER OF THE AVEDA GIVEAWAY WILL BE POSTED WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON! Can't wait! Until then, make it a GREAT day!
Anywhere that puts lump crabmeat on top of anything is a place I would like to visit! Happy Anniversary to your parents! Sounds like a wonderful time with them.
ReplyDeleteWow! What a cool area! I can't wait to hear more about it and see it through your eyes!
ReplyDeleteYummy! That is making me crave some seafood by the coast!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to your parents!
It sounds like a great restaurant. I'm so glad you had a great weekend with your parents, its a good job it wasn't last weekend, isn't it!
ReplyDelete:-)