I ate my way across the MS Coast in 2022. These were my favorite restaurants.

When I graduated from high school in 2007, my entire diet consisted of plain McDonald’s cheeseburgers, pepperoni pizza and chicken tenders. To put it mildly, I was a picky eater.

That was 15 years ago, and with the help of my best friends and a promise to myself to be more adventurous, I’m proud to call myself a foodie. Since I moved home to start working at the Sun Herald in 2012, I’ve tried hundreds of new places, from fine dining restaurants to dive bars to hidden gems.

I took over writing restaurant reviews at the Sun Herald, which means I try somewhere new every week. I’ve eaten at a lot of places this year, both for work and for pleasure, and here’s a list of my favorite restaurants from 2022.

1. Basil’s Cafe, Long Beach

• What to order: Curry, pad see ewe, pad Thai, chicken satay

2. Long Beach Market & Deli, Long Beach

• What to order: Crab rangoons, Bulgogi bowl, Bahn mi po-boy, kogi fries

3. Sycamore House, Bay St. Louis

• What to order: Flauta special, New York Strip, any pizza, brunch

4. C.A. Sarducci’s, Gulfport

• What to order: Sarducci’s salad, any pan pizza

5. Thai Jasmine, D’Iberville

• What to order: Spring rolls, pad Thai, pad basil leaves, pineapple fried rice

6. White Pillars, Biloxi

• What to order: Menu changes frequently, but everything I’ve tasted is exceptional. Don’t skip dessert, and reserve tickets for the next drag brunch.
  
  

7. Lady May, Ocean Springs

• What to order: Snack board, honey butter fried chicken, Biscuit Monica

8. Tamale Shak, Gulfport

• What to order: Tamales, chicken quesadilla, beef nachos

9. Mockingbird Cafe, Bay St. Louis

• What to order: Biscuits and gravy, fried chicken sandwich, the Mockingburger

10. Coast Roast, Gulfport

• What to order: Iced chai latte, hot mocha, cream cheese stuffed blueberry scone

11. Kim Long, Biloxi

• What to order: Xa Xiu (barbecue pork) Vietnamese po-boy, Panang curry

12. Scratch Kitchen, Ocean Springs

• What to order: Buffalo blue coney, dessert nachos

13. Knuckleheads, Ocean Springs

• What to order: Poutine fries, sausage and shrimp dip, club sandwich, boiled seafood

Former Sun Herald intern Jessica Patterson-Smith contributed to this report.

This story was originally published December 28, 2022 at 7:00 AM.

Justin Mitchell

Sun Herald

228-604-0705

Justin Mitchell is the Sun Herald senior news editor and works on McClatchy’s audience engagement and development team. He also reports on LGBTQ issues in the Deep South, particularly focusing on Mississippi.