Today's Case

White Cap Restaurant Gulfport Re: A trip down memory lane From: Bobby Date: 8/10/2023, 7:31 AM To: Phaedrus On 8/9/2023 6:29 PM, Bobby wrote: My friends and I ate at White Cap in Gulfport the other day, and I had a sense that I had been there before, but it was Lum’s. Is that possible? I distinctly remember the Hot Dog steamed in beer because that was so scandalous when I was 9 years old. Any info would be appreciated. —Bobby NOLA Hello Bobby, Are you asking whether the building in Gulfport (or Mississippi City) that White Cap is in now is the same building that used to be Lum's? Or whether the location, but not the building is the same? Or are you saying the decor of White Cap reminds you of Lum's from years ago? I used to live on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. I only ever dined at Lum's once and it was at that same Lum's on Beach Blvd in Gulfport, MS. In about 1970 or so, a friend of mine from college insisted that I had to try the fried clam basket at Lum's, so we went for lunch. It was the only time that I ever dined at a Lum's. I never had the beer-steamed hot dogs or an Ollieburger. It was the first time I'd ever had clams, and they were excellent. I recall that Lum's was on the North side of Beach Blvd. I don't know for sure, but I think that Lum's was near Edgewater Plaza Mall. Mapquest has a blurb about White Cap Restaurant: In 1929, the White Cap started as a snack bar at the end of the old trolley car line at the current Gulfport V.A. property. The White Cap then moved a mile east to Mississippi City and was known as the White Cap Drive Inn. Hurricane Camille destroyed the drive inn in 1969. In 1970, Carl, Buck, and Ray Lizana reopened the White Cap Seafood Restaurant in the Gulfport Yacht Harbor and enjoyed 35 successful years as a coast favorite spot. In 2005 hurricane Katrina destroyed the restaurant. In 2008, the Lizana family reopened the present restaurant not too far from its original location in Mississippi City. Here they continue to serve seafood overlooking the beach. White Cap is currently at 560 Beach Dr, Gulfport, MS. I tried to research that address to find out who the previous occupiers were, but I had no success. I searched for anything online that might tell me Lum's street address when it was in Gulfport, but I had no success finding any mention of it. I was hoping for an old photo or newspaper ad or city directory or phone book online from 1970 or so, but no luck. I briefly returned to the Gulfport area in 1972 - 73, and I believe Lum's was gone by then. I could not find any connection at all between Lum's, which started in Miami, Fl, and White Cap, which was, and is, a wholly local Gulfport establishment. The history that I have quoted above says that the original White Cap was destroyed by Hurricane Camille in 1969 and when it reopened in 1970, the new location was Gulfport Yacht Harbor where it stayed for 35 years, moving to it's present location at 560 Beach Dr, Gulfport, MS. in 2009. So, It looks as though Lum's was on Beach Blvd in 1970 and White Cap was at the Yacht Harbor, and there doesn't appear to be any chance that White Cap is in the same location that was once Lum's. If I've made a grievous error in my thinking about this, perhaps one of my readers can provide contrary evidence or reasoning. Maybe it's just déjà vu, Bobby. Phaed Wow, thanks for the thorough response. My memory is vague because things changed quickly for me. My family moved from Atlanta to New Orleans in June ’69, before I-10 was complete. The Beach road (US Hwy 90) was the best route between Mobile and New Orleans. I mention this because I only traveled a couple of times before Hurricane Camille wiped out the area a few months later. Once I-10 was completed we avoided the coast road due to all of the red lights. I knew that White Cap had been somewhere else and destroyed by Katrina, but when we pulled up to the new location, I had the sense of déjà vu like you suggested. I racked my brain for the next hour trying to remember the name of the place, but remembered the "hot dogs steamed in beer" specialty. My dad taught me a trick years ago that when you know that you know a name, slowly work your way through the alphabet, and often the name will come to you… psychologists called this “queued recall”. “Lum’s” came to me using this method. On another note, I'd never heard of “Mississippi City” before your email, but I found it on the map, so thanks for that too. Thanks again, —Bobby