Page 83 - South Mississippi Living - May, 2025

family business continues. “We dedicate the Gulf Coast Oyster Cook Off & Festival to the committee, as they will be providing oysters ready to shuck or on the half shell to restaurants at no charge.”
Oyster cooking teams are forming now. Each team signs an agreement and will receive boxes of 100 single oysters ready to shuck and grill that will be served to festival attendees. This year’s judges are last year’s winner Ryan Bradley and chefs Jean Paul Lavaillee and David Dickensauge who will conduct a blind judging of charbroiled, house specialty, people’s choice and raw oysters for cash and prizes.
Mattina likes to promote the area’s restaurants and has a motto of “shop, eat, spend, enjoy local.” He hopes many local restaurants will register a team for the cook off. He is also a supporter of restoring the Coast’s oyster beds with the Mississippi Oyster Recycling Program. One day of recycling oyster shells equals one acre of oyster beds. “Since 2017, we have partnered with The Nature Conservancy in recycling our oyster shells to save our local reefs,” he says. “During our inaugural oyster festival, together with Mississippi Commercial Fisheries United, we established their pilot plan for oyster recycling with Gulf Coast seafood restaurants.”
In his every day life, Mattina, 59, owns Clear Vision Entertainment & Consulting. A promoter and showman,
he says he likes entertaining people. Therefore he describes the festival as “a three ring circus to keep people there.”
He means there’s plenty of activity to keep festival goers happy. Of course sampling the grilled and raw oysters is the headliner, but there’s the car show, live entertainment and arts and crafts. Bands had not been announced at press time.
Car shows are popular outdoor events and this one features Corvettes, or super cars as Mattina calls them. Mattina credits Mike Kommersmith with the success of the car show, as he brings nine years of experience to the event. Last
year 86 Corvettes registered with each winner receiving a dozen tickets for the oyster cook off. He expects all classes of Corvettes, old and new.
Sponsors for the festival include Balius Welding & Iron Works, Salty Girl Oysters, Keg & Barrel, Trilby’s, Beach Blvd Steamer (Island View Casino Resorts), Coterie Restaurant and Oyster Bar, Sully’s and Clear Vision Entertainment & Consulting. Mattina invites families to come out and enjoy the festival. Kids five and under are free and pets on leash are welcome. Pre-sale tickets are buy one at $10 and get one free for sampling tickets. Sampling tickets are $30 at the gate. Registration for the Corvettes and Oysters Car Show is $30 and $40 at the gate. Pre registration includes one dozen cook off tickets.
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