If you love seafood, then the dining choices on the Mississippi Gulf Coast will be a delight.  The regional cuisine specializes in varieties of seafood influenced by the Cajun and Creole flavors from neighboring Louisiana. Tomato sauce, green bell pepper, celery, chili powder, long grain rice, yellow onions, red pepper, Tabasco sauce, okra, hot pepper sauce, filé, and cayenne pepper—are some of the favorite ingredients found in many of the most flavorful dishes.  When the shrimp and fishing industries are thriving on the Gulf of Mexico, visitors and residents can enjoy the tantalizing flavors of the sea’s bounty. 

Stretching 26 miles, the Mississippi Gulf Coast restaurant scene includes some hearty, mouth watering foods that are “down home” as well as delicate and sophisticated.  Lobster, crab cakes, red beans and rice, eggplant pirogue, shrimp Creole, jambalaya, gumbo, crawfish étouffeé, crabs, and other fresh grilled fish are among the most popular dishes in over 230 restaurants, and each one bears the unique stamp of its creator.  Chimney’s and Vrazel’s in Gulfport offer fine dining creations as well as great coastal ambiance.  Southern Living recommends the following for fried seafood, prepared in the proper manner:  Steve’s Marina Restaurant, Long Beach; White Cap Restaurant, Gulfport; Aunt Jenny’s and Jocelyn’s in Ocean Springs.  Mary Mahoney’s Old French House in Biloxi is the site of the 2004 annual meeting banquet, and is famous for its wonderful food, its renowned bread pudding, and its historic French design, with a gift shop.  From po’boys to southern gourmet cooking, everything imaginable is available in the area, where chefs take justifiable pride in their experimentation.    

Restaurants along the Gulf Coast also offer a variety of cultural and ethnic cuisine, as well as casual and fine dining.  If seafood is not your favorite, there are Oriental, Mexican, Italian, and Greek venues available.  Chappy’s in Long Beach offers a champagne brunch, while the Blow Fly has little plastic surprises in your food and on the windows!  The casinos feature some of the coast’s great restaurants offering international and American cuisine in all types of dining venues.  The Grand Casino has eight restaurants including L. B.’s Steakhouse, Brulo’s Seafood Company, The Creamery, and Corky’s.    Reservations may be required at some restaurants, so plan ahead to take in the best the Gulf Coast has to offer!   There is something to please everyone!  For more information, and a description of various dining establishments, some with menus posted, visit this website:   http://www.gulfcoast.org/dine/fine_dining.html

Submitted by
Connie Machado
Cataloging Department
Rowland Medical Library

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Dining Guide