Mary Mahoney’s Old French House
Biloxi
Just a few blocks from Biloxi’s waterfront in a home built in 1737 by a French colonist seeking to re-create a shining outpost of his home country in his new land, Mary Mahoney’s Old French House restaurant is often described as looking more characteristic of New Orleans than Biloxi.
Over the years, the impeccably preserved and well-cared-for home has served as a command station for the French governor of the Louisiana Territory and as a home for immigrants from Spain, Germany and England before finally passing to Mary Mahoney and her husband, Bob, in 1962.
Crab is the main event at Mary Mahoney’s, where, in addition to standard plates like fresh Gulf shrimp salad and crab claws, groups can sample shrimp and crab melba and Mary Mahoney’s original dish, the St. Patrick. The story goes that this dish was created when a customer didn’t want snails and asked instead for shrimp, which was then tucked into pasta shells to look more like escargot, coated with the usual dose of garlic butter and then topped with Mary Mahoney’s fresh crabmeat.
For decades, celebrities from Dick Clark to John Grisham, Denzel Washington and Jimmy Buffett have patronized the historic home and restaurant, while numerous presidents, most notably George W. Bush and Ronald Reagan, have been steadfast fans. When groups book the private dining space or a group visit to the main dining room, Mahoney family members can walk the group through the home and share their personal stories from its history.
Viking Cooking School
Greenwood
Part of the Viking Hospitality campus that also includes the Viking Cooking School, the 50-room Alluvian Hotel and Spa, and the Viking Range headquarters, the Viking Cooking School in Greenwood can provide groups with everything from a delicious and informative lunch stop to a full afternoon, evening and overnight of culinary activities.
The cooking school has three spaces for group cooking classes, allowing it to customize not only the menu but also the ambiance to the size of the group. Groups of up to 50 can experience a cooking demonstration in the Viking Range headquarters’ auditorium while enjoying the same meal the chef is demonstrating. This shorter option is also ideal for groups looking to stop on campus for only an hour or an hour and a half for lunch or brunch.
In the main cooking school and retail store, each kitchen can handle up to 14 guests for a hands-on course or 20 for a demonstration course, with the option to split a group into two and use both kitchens at once.
“Private groups have the flexibility to customize and pull a salad from one class and a dessert from another,” said Kimberly Gnemi, the cooking school’s general manager. “Catfish parmesan is popular for a short lunch demo. It’s farmed right here in the Delta. And we can also do a Delta dinner and blues class that has the catfish parmesan and hot tamales.”
The cooking school is available for classes any time of day, for brunch, lunch or dinner.
The Shed BBQ and Blues Joint
Ocean Springs
It began in 2001 with some scrap parts, a dream and a huge dose of optimism. Now, 15 years later, The Shed encompasses nearly 10,000 square feet, including 3,000 feet of scenic bayou waterfront, whole-hog pit roasters, 120 indoor seats and space for nearly 500 outside beside a 10,000-brick outdoor fireplace. The restaurant has hundreds of awards to its name, including grand world champion in the whole-hog division and National BBQ Association awards for its sauces.
The Shed’s popularity has come from sticking fast to what it does best: its essential triumvirate of barbecue, beer and blues.
“What people want from here is a barbecue sandwich, a shrimp po’boy, a clean bathroom and something else to do besides an asphalt parking lot,” said founder Brad Orrison.
Thanks to the family’s music connections, live blues is always on and free on Friday and Saturday nights, but acts can also be arranged at other times for groups, along with whole-hog barbecue, which is only cooked up for competitions and groups.
“The only thing that ever put the fire out at The Shed was Hurricane Katrina because there was eight feet of water, but even then, we got it going again soon,” said Orrison.
