This Coast restaurant is one of the best ‘old school Italian’ spots in the US, MSN says
The Sicilian II restaurant in Biloxi was named best Italian restaurant in Mississippi by Microsoft News Lifestyle blog for the third year in a row, and owner Chris Drake II is showing his appreciation to his loyal customers by buying someone’s meal every day.
The restaurant is old-school because his recipes were handed down by his late father, Chris Drake, and other relatives, he said.
He makes his own sauce, his meatballs, sausage and desserts from scratch and turns out pizza, his renowned mozzarella sticks and specialties like baked ziti, Sicilian stuffed shells with three cheeses, spaghetti boat spaghetti and homemade soup.
The MSN blog about Sicilian II says: “The Deep South may be known for barbecue, but The Sicilian II proves you can find authentic Italian if you look hard enough — in this case, tucked in an unassuming little strip mall. This family-owned dive churns out delicious pizza, fans say, and the homemade mozzarella sticks are more than worth the stop.”
Drake said he learned about the third award last week and believes it’s based in large part on online reviews and comments by those who have eaten there.
“The first time in 2019 it just felt like this once in a lifetime thing,” he said.
In 2020 he said it was like a dream, he said. “What, twice!” was his response.
This year the award is especially sweet, he said, to actually pull it off during the pandemic.
The restaurant at 1670 Pass Road in Biloxi, near the west entrance of Keesler Air Force Base, closed for a couple of months in March and April when nobody knew what was going to happen, he said.
They reopened for takeout only and now the dining room is open again.
“My employees stuck with me,” he said of his small, close-knit staff.
“My customers did everything they could to keep us going,” he said, when he didn’t get any government assistance to help him stay in business.
These loyal customers also helped raise money for his father’s funeral and opened a Go Fund Me account to help pay for Drake’s surgery a couple of years ago.
“I’ve really tried to think of things to give back,” he said, and did so with donations to Loaves and Fishes and special promotions.
His latest is a Random Acts of Kindness campaign started this month and he says it will go on “forever.”
Once a day, every day, his mom randomly texts him with the message “make the next one free.” It could be at lunch or dinner when the text arrives and the next person to cash out will get their entire order free.
It doesn’t matter if the order is for one or two people or a whole group, he said, and if they dined in or ordered take-out.
His customers get pretty excited about the new promotion, he said. “Nobody knows when it’s going to happen.”
He hopes it will spur more acts of kindness.
“You’ve done so much for us and now I hope to return that favor and inspire you to do more for the others around you,” he said.
