While it’ll be a long time before the region fully bounces back, Mississippi’s Gulf Coast still a great place to tool around if you’re looking for an afternoon out of New Orleans. Just an hour from the French Quarter and you’re in another world. One with some pretty nice/slowly recovering beaches. Here’s what you do:

Rob Mangione

1) Stop at Kokopelli’s truck for tamales – Mississippi loves it some hot tamales (get your background here). The truck and the cheerful gal that runs it are generally located in the parking lot of the gas station just off the I-10 at the Meche Road exit.

2) Drive down Meche Road to Highway 90 and turn left – If you saw it before, you’ll be blown away (no pun intended) by what’s no longer there. You’ll also be surprised at how pretty it is with far fewer manmade additions to the coastline.

3) Stop for coffee at the Roasted Bean – One of the secrets of this region is this roaster/cafe located inside the Beau Rivage. You know you’re not far from New Orleans when they’re serving you Irish Coffee in go cups.

4) Take a peek inside Mary Mahoney’s – The original building off the courtyard at this Downtown Biloxi gem dates from the 1700’s, the restaurant is from the 1960’s. No matter the age, it is well worth a visit. Take a look at the menu (stuffed catfish! gumbo!) and see about coming back to dinner later on. (116 Rue Magnolia).

5) Get fed at The Shed – Located on Highway 57 (“Barbecue Heaven!”) outside of Ocean Springs, this place is where to come for good BBQ and baked potato salad, which is basically a baked potato with all the trimmings, but in salad form. Afterwards, head to downtown Ocean Springs and find you some sweet potato donuts at the Tato-Nut. Walk it off on a gander around this artistically-inclined town, which is doing its best to recover from the storm.