One of the oldest houses in the United States, circa 1737, was almost wiped off the map when Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast in 2005 and demolished huge swaths of the very vulnerable city of Biloxi, Mississippi. Yet, this venerable building — nearly 400 years old and now the home of Mary Mahoney’s Old French Restaurant — survived, but not without some scars: A line above the fireplace mantle in one of the dining rooms indicates the highest level of the floodwaters, and occasional gusts of wind rattled both the windows and my waitress, who looked apprehensively outside, the roar of Katrina’s locomotive strength permanently etched in her memory. Read more about this unique Southern restaurant >