Popular downtown Cajun restaurant closes, but will reopen at new South MS spot
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- A heavy majority of Facebook commenters urged reopening in a new Coast location.
- Babin is seeking spaces in D’Iberville or Ocean Springs and aims to reopen by June 1.
- The new Parrain’s will retain its jambalaya, pastalaya and other Louisiana dishes.
Conditions of the building that housed Parrain’s Jambalaya Kitchen in downtown Biloxi since 2019 forced the owner to close it Saturday, and she went to her customers to ask what she should do next.
Brandi Babin gave them two choices: Should she relocate to another building in South Mississippi, or ship dishes to customers to heat and eat?
A heavy majority of the more than 150 comments on Facebook asked for a new Coast location, although some said they liked both ideas.
The outpouring from the public made her realize, “I have something here I really shouldn’t let die,” Babin said.
“The people have spoken,” she said, as she quickly began seeking restaurant spaces in D’Iberville and Ocean Springs. One of the spots she’s considering has the bonus of a takeout window, she said.
She’s looking to reopen as early as June 1 and already is advertising for help. Tara Sandberg, a popular waitress at their Biloxi restaurant, will return as the new manager and do the hiring.
Authentic Cajun and Creole food
One thing that won’t change much is the menu, which features favorite recipes from Gonzales, Louisiana, considered the “jambalaya capital of the world.”
Marlen Babin, Brandi’s father, opened Parrain’s in Biloxi seven years ago. Soon after, he discovered Mike Alise, a friend he grew up with in Gonzales, also was living in South Mississippi and he and his wife were operating Gulf Coast Produce in Biloxi. They hadn’t seen each other since high school 40 years earlier.
The two joined forces and brought dishes inspired by their hometown near Baton Rouge to their Biloxi restaurant.
The new Parrain’s will still feature their famous jambalaya and will keep pastalaya. “There’s too many people that love it,” she said, to not continue the jambalaya made with pasta instead of rice.
Also on the menu are Louisiana style gumbo, boudin balls, cracklins, side dishes and Louisiana sweets.
Appeal is more than the food
Alise has since passed away and her father’s medical issues made it impossible for him to continue the restaurant, said Babin. She became the owner and oversees the operation from her home in Colorado, where her children are in school.
As she prepares to move the restaurant to a new location, Babin said she’s still considering shipping her Cajun specialties to snow birds and other Coast visitors who want a taste of Cajun when they return home.
“I feel that it’s more than the food,” she said, which created the customer loyalty for Parrain’s. Since learning of the closing, people have reached out to offer to help fund the reopening, she said, and she plans to keep the same energy alive with the music, the setting and the pictures on the walls of the new restaurant.
“What can we do? We cannot lose this,” she said.
