Mississippi
Vicksburg, Mississippi, offers delightful local shopping and classic Southern eats
Illustration by Debora Islas
Perched high on a bluff with sweeping views of the Mississippi River sits Vicksburg. That very bluff is what made the city so challenging for the Union to capture during the 47-day Civil War battle of the same name. Today, Vicksburg’s rich history is always on display as stately Greek Revival mansions sit alongside colorful shotgun homes. A stroll down Washington Street reveals charming boutiques and restaurants housed in original brick buildings. Vicksburg is a town that makes the most of its nooks and crannies with plenty to discover for history buffs and small-town enthusiasts alike.
Inn Style
Anchuca Historic Mansion & Inn makes a stunning first impression with its classical columns and sunny hue. The 1830s guest rooms hearken to an era of elegance and lavish decor, while a separate inn on the property offers modern accommodations. Each morning for breakfast, guests are treated to specialties such as warm banana bread and crispy bacon.
Icing on the Cake
Walnut Hills Restaurant attracts both locals and visitors with warm hospitality and Southern favorites. At lunch, the 1880s home fills with light, and guests feast on classics like fried chicken and blackened catfish. Saving room for an oversized piece of house-made strawberry crunch cake is mandatory.
Pop of Fun
Fun fact: Coca-Cola was first bottled in Vicksburg at the Biedenharn Candy Company. The family preserved the building’s legacy by turning it into the Biedenharn Coca-Cola Museum and furnishing it with Coke collectibles, including vintage trays spanning decades. On the way out, top off your visit with a Coke float.
Think Small
At the foot of the hill in a restored train depot, the Old Depot Museum contains hundreds of tiny but mighty treasures. The impressive collection includes model trains running over bridges and through diminutive villages, model ships, toy cars, and a replica of the Vicksburg battlefield.
Hit the Books
Inside locally owned Lorelei Books, a petite shop made even cozier with brick walls and reading alcoves, awaits a well-curated selection of new titles for adults and children. There’s a sizable selection of Civil War and Mississippi history books for those hoping to continue their education beyond the trip.
Dinner and a Show
Spectacular sunsets over the Mississippi River are part of the experience at 10 South Rooftop, which serves up Creole-influenced pub fare. Standouts include dirty rice fritters with comeback sauce and redfish with mashed potatoes, crawfish, and green-onion butter.
Artsy Enclave
Tucked in an upstairs location above Washington Street, Attic Gallery—the state’s oldest independent gallery—proudly displays work by Mississippi folk artists. Every inch of the store is covered in pieces inspired by the region, whether it’s colorful chickens, whimsical portraits, or earthy pottery.
This article appears in the Spring 2024 issue of Southbound.
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Mississippi
Esquire names Mississippi seafood place among Top 33 best new restaurants
What to do with leftover food
Stop wasting leftovers. Here’s how to get the most out of your meals.
Problem Solved
A Mississippi restaurant has made a short list of the hottest new restaurants in America for 2025. Esquire named the 33 best new places to eat.
“… This has been the Year of the Good Time,” writer Joshua David Stein noted. “A good time not in an ‘ostrich in the sand’ way or in a ‘decline and fall of the Roman Empire’ mode. A good time founded on the recognition that good times — with friends around a table, breaking bread — are more important than ever in chaotic, topsy-turvy years like these.”
The national list includes places that meet what Esquire’s Food & Drinks Editor Jeff Hordinier calls “’the five C’s’ —we’re looking for a sweet spot of hospitality that incorporates comfort, creativity, cool, community, and (of course) excellent cooking.”
Which Mississippi seafood place did Esquire call one of the best new restaurants?
Siren Social Club in Gulfport made the Esquire list of the Top 33 new restaurants in the U.S. Chef Adam Sumrall and his wife and business partner Tresse Sumrall recently attended a party in New York City to celebrate the honor.
“The old building used to be a mortuary, but it’s got plenty of life in it now. Festooned with images of tropical flora and ruled by a statue of an orange enchantress who looks ready for the Life of a Showgirl world tour, Siren Social Club makes it clear from the outset that you are here to shake off the cobweb,” chef Amethyst Ganaway wrote for Esquire.
The Sumralls opened Siren on Halloween night in 2024. It’s in the same building a Hotel Vela, a boutique option in Gulf Coast hospitality. The pair also run White Pillars in Biloxi.
They excel at elevated dining experiences in fun, elegant settings. The Michelin guide also gave both Siren Social Club and White Pillars nods in its first American South’s 2025 Recommended Restaurants list.
“Siren Social Club dares to be different,” the guide notes.
Southern Living also named it one of the 20 new restaurants in the South earlier this year.
“Swanky and cool, it’s a fun spot for early birds and night owls alike,” wrote Senior Food Editor Josh Miller.
What’s on the Siren Social Club menu?
Chef Adam Sumrall brings Southern cooking paired with haute cuisine training. He’s a graduate of Ole Miss and the Culinary Institute of America, according to the Hotel Vela website. The McComb native won the King of American Seafood title at the 2021 Great American Seafood Cook-off in New Orleans. He’s a James Beard Foundation semi-finalist for best chef in the South who’s been featured on several cooking shows. Sumrall won Food Network’s “Alex vs America.”
“Their admirably robust menu indulges coastal cravings via seasonal oysters and Gulf shrimp while appeasing land lovers with steakhouse favorites and handmade pastas,” Miller wrote.
Esquire highlighted the “luxe party food,” particularly crispy chicken with hot honey, thousand-layer potatoes, beef Wellington and a shrimp cocktail that comes with buttered crackers.
Current menu listings include a caviar service, beef tartare and pork chop paillard.
When can I go to Siren Social Club?
According to the website, Siren Social Club is open 5-9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and 5-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
It’s at 1409 24th Ave., Gulfport.
Bonnie Bolden is the Deep South Connect reporter for Mississippi with USA TODAY Network. Email her at bbolden@gannett.com.
Mississippi
Mississippi Lottery Mississippi Match 5, Cash 3 results for Dec. 16, 2025
Odds of winning the Powerball and Mega Millions are NOT in your favor
Odds of hitting the jackpot in Mega Millions or Powerball are around 1-in-292 million. Here are things that you’re more likely to land than big bucks.
The Mississippi Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Dec. 16, 2025, results for each game:
Winning Mississippi Match 5 numbers from Dec. 16 drawing
02-09-13-18-29
Check Mississippi Match 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash 3 numbers from Dec. 16 drawing
Midday: 3-3-2, FB: 4
Evening: 5-9-3, FB: 9
Check Cash 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash 4 numbers from Dec. 16 drawing
Midday: 3-9-2-0, FB: 4
Evening: 9-8-3-6, FB: 9
Check Cash 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash Pop numbers from Dec. 16 drawing
Midday: 05
Evening: 02
Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Story continues below gallery.
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
Winnings of $599 or less can be claimed at any authorized Mississippi Lottery retailer.
Prizes between $600 and $99,999, may be claimed at the Mississippi Lottery Headquarters or by mail. Mississippi Lottery Winner Claim form, proper identification (ID) and the original ticket must be provided for all claims of $600 or more. If mailing, send required documentation to:
Mississippi Lottery Corporation
P.O. Box 321462
Flowood, MS
39232
If your prize is $100,000 or more, the claim must be made in person at the Mississippi Lottery headquarters. Please bring identification, such as a government-issued photo ID and a Social Security card to verify your identity. Winners of large prizes may also have the option of setting up electronic funds transfer (EFT) for direct deposits into a bank account.
Mississippi Lottery Headquarters
1080 River Oaks Drive, Bldg. B-100
Flowood, MS
39232
Mississippi Lottery prizes must be claimed within 180 days of the drawing date. For detailed instructions and necessary forms, please visit the Mississippi Lottery claim page.
When are the Mississippi Lottery drawings held?
- Cash 3: Daily at 2:30 p.m. (Midday) and 9:30 p.m. (Evening).
- Cash 4: Daily at 2:30 p.m. (Midday) and 9:30 p.m. (Evening).
- Match 5: Daily at 9:30 p.m. CT.
- Cash Pop: Daily at 2:30 p.m. (Midday) and 9:30 p.m. (Evening).
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Mississippi editor. You can send feedback using this form.
Mississippi
Ohio man pleads guilty to possessing device-making equipment in Mississippi
JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – An Ohio man pled guilty last week to illegally possessing credit card encoding devices in Mississippi.
According to court documents, Sean Matthew Langston, Jr., 33, was arrested in Rankin County on April 28, 2024, following a traffic stop. Investigators said Langston and his co-defendant, John Carleton Johnson, Jr., were found to be in possession of 322 gift cards, 17 reencoded instruments containing stolen bank card data, and two magstripe encoding devices.
Prosecutors said Langston and Johnson could be seen on CCTV footage at various retail stores throughout the Jackson-metro area purchasing gift cards with known cloned instruments.
Langston pled guilty to one count of illegal possession, production, or trafficking in device-making equipment with intent to defraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 14, 2026, and faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in federal prison.
A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment against Langston and Johnson on February 20, 2025. Johnson pled guilty on June 30, 2025, and was sentenced to serve two years in federal prison and ordered to pay a fine of $5,000 on November 3, 2025.
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