Page 82 - South Mississippi Living - May, 2025

story by Lynn Lofton
photos courtesy of Clear Vision
Entertainment & Consulting COOK OFF & FESTIVAL
“This is the only oyster event and it fits my family heritage
100 percent,” Mattina says. “A few years ago grilled oysters were just coming on the scene and I went to a festival at the Hangout in Gulf Shores to check it out. I thought it would work here. We even managed to pull this event off after the Bonnet Carré Spillway breach. My wife, Dawn, plays a major role and I couldn’t do it without her.”
And it has worked well, even in 2019 when they ran out of 82 | May 2025
oysters and his cousin Dan Balius, a third-generation oyster dredge maker, saved the day by obtaining Louisiana oysters, even during COVID and even during Mattina’s cancer treatment. “It was tough but we made it and this year is going to be great,” he says. “My roots run deep in the industry and my vision was clear what I wanted to create.”
Mattina’s grandparents, Noel Sr. and Maria Balius, founded Balius & Sons Blacksmith and Iron Works in 1919 and the
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GULF COAST OYSTER