Bring on the night

The sun’s setting on another beautiful, breezy day on Mississippi’s Gulf Coast, and the glitter along Casino Row and beyond is lighting up the darkening sky, signaling that the nighttime tempo is kicking in along the Boulevard.

It’s a great night to take it all in, so guss up, hop in and let’s take a ride. The Boulevard beat is calling.

At Watson’s Piano Bar in the heart of downtown Gulfport, soft music is playing as friends gather on plush sofas. In the center of the bar, a couple lounge at a small table, occasionally turning their attention from one another to focus on the piano player, who is softly tickling the ivories of a baby grand in the corner.

Watson’s is a slice of London — with everything but the fog. Merlot- and cider-colored walls are adorned with cricket gear, kerosene lamps and artwork depicting British icons Winston Churchill and The Beatles. Need to phone home to the States? There’s even a working 1950s-era London telephone booth.

In keeping with the British theme, loungers mix do-it-yourself Bloody Marys. With a shot of vodka in a glass, they complete their drink with a veritable buffet of mixes and garnishments. Let’s cap ours with Zing Zang, a pearl onion, three spicy green beans, a garlic-stuffed olive and a kosher pickle spear. It doesn’t hurt to try new things.

One might think the bar’s name is a reference to the British sleuthing sidekick of Sherlock Holmes, but it is actually named for owner Donald Welch’s dog. Watson is a wire-haired Dachshund-terrier mix whose image is engraved in the mirror behind the bar and imposed on the body of Ringo Starr in a Beatles picture altered by local artist Marty Wilson.

As we finish the last sip of our Bloody Mary, we make a note to come back next week for Little Black Dress Night — an evening when any woman wearing a “little black dress” (the name of the house wine served at Watson’s) can drink free from 7-10 p.m.

Welch says the bar has seen impressive turnouts since opening in October 2009. He attributes the attraction to the smoke-free environment and an atmosphere that remains quiet and relaxing even when the bar has reached capacity.

OK, time to hit the road. There’s a “little” place in D’Iberville that I’d like for you to see. You’re driving, right? Just across Biloxi Bay is Guitars & Cadillacs, a bar so big that one might expect to find it in Dallas rather than D’Iberville.

Guitars & Cadillacs stakes claim to being the Coast’s largest nightclub, utilizing 16,000 square feet of a former grocery store. As we walk inside, guys and gals are stretched across the spacious dance floor as they kick their heels and swagger their way through a lively line dance. Some of the dancers have obviously perfected their moves, while others are trying to keep up, but with free dance lessons offered on Friday nights, anyone can overcome their fear of joining the rolling motion on the dance floor.