For two consecutive Sundays we have driven to the Gulf Coast and eaten at the same place. And ordered the same things. We have been to Anthony’s in Bay St. Louis once before, about a year ago. We were thrilled with everything about the place, starting with the smell when you enter the premises. It is divine.
The physical space is beautiful too, and the food tastes like it smells, making the entire experience even better. All this does not come cheap, but on the menu it does not appear to be expensive. Until the bill comes and you see that you have paid $5 for an iced tea.
We don’t care. We have figured it out. And the things we want aren’t expensive. Last week we spent $109 with tip, and this week it was half that. We overordered last week, getting a bread service that was definitely not worth $9 and a $32 lasagna entree. This week we kept the things we loved best: the meatballs app with focaccia, and the incredible Italian salad, which has no peer. These two things were large enough to share, and we were quite satisfied.
This Italian salad is large, with Bibb lettuce, cucumbers, grilled artichoke hearts, heirloom grape tomato halves, plenty of sliced black and green olives, and a topping of sliced prosciutto and a forest of fresh dill. Sometimes a generous dusting of grated Parm covers the entire thing.
This creamy salad dressing makes the salad, and all the elements complement each other with crunchy and soft textures, grill flavor from the artichokes, and the perky acidity of the tomatoes. Just sensational.
The meatballs come as a threesome in a luscious, smooth, and fresh but long-simmered red sauce. There is plenty enough of the sauce to have some for each bite of the meatballs. They are tender but not soft and crumbly. These are great meatballs, and just the right size. A layer of melted Provolone cheese adds that forno touch.
We love the focaccia too. Last week it was dull, but we asked for some extra toasting today, and it was perfect.
Last week we had the bread service to start. It was a small loaf of seeded and braided Italian bread that was not toasted enough to make it interesting. It came with a ramekin of garlic and good olive oil, and another of butter. We skipped this today.
Last week we also had a wonderful lasagna made with short rib beef. This was very nice, but we’ve both decided short rib should be an entree unto itself. Ground meat works fine between pasta layers. Subbing short rib in a lasagna is the equivalent of caviar or truffles added to a dish so you can charge more. There was plenty of cheese and lots of this fantastic sauce. It was a generous portion in every way, but we skipped it this time.
Anthony’s has an outstanding service staff. Exceptionally lovely, helpful, and competent. I can't say enough about them, from the hostess on down.
There was live music inside, but we sat outside at one of three tables on the ground floor. There is more patio seating on the first floor. The further away from live music I am, the better.
This could become a thing for us. It is extremely pleasant inside and outside here. There is nothing we don’t love. The place stands out on the entire Gulf Coast of Mississippi, which doesn’t necessarily mean much, but in this case, it does.