I ate my way across the MS Gulf Coast in 2020. These are my 10 favorite restaurants.

Exploring the restaurant scene on the Gulf Coast is an adventure that seems to only get better and better.

Not a week goes by that I am not visiting a restaurant for the first time or revisiting an eatery that has a new chef or menu.

Coastal Mississippi lists hundreds of restaurants on its website, including 59 Asian spots, 74 casino eateries, 16 Italian, 18 fine dining and 75 seafood places. And that’s not half the list, so when the end of the year approaches and I am tasked with telling you about my ten favorites, it is a daunting task indeed.

You might think, considering the challenging times that we are going through, the restaurant community might slow down a bit, but that is not the case. In fact, I have seen a trend in aspiring restaurateurs deciding that now is the time to make the dream of owning a restaurant come true. The consensus seems to be, “If not now, when?”

But there have been some changes to the way kitchens are being run. Perhaps the biggest change is the demise of the buffets. Several restaurants I visit tell me they are not going back to the days of the buffet.

Their food inventories have fallen off dramatically, as have their food throwaways, and with a simplified menu, sales have stayed comparable to last year. I am not sure that the casinos will follow suit, but I do expect some permanent changes in the all-you-can-eat scene.

The restaurants that seem to be doing well have been innovative. Most have come up with smaller menus, or even prix-fixe menus, and the emphasis on comfort food seems to be hanging on. The restaurant industry is still evolving and adjusting to these uncertain times.

The following are some of my favorite visits in 2020. The list is not a ranking, and it would be unfair to compare restaurants that are as diverse as these are. A great fine-dining place and a great po-boy place are in different worlds.

Field’s Steak & Oyster Bar

Field’s Steak & Oyster Bar is at the top of its game, and that is because Chef Lauren Joffrion is in the kitchen making the magic that she is famous for.

I can describe her in no other way than “on fire.” This place is all about steaks, local seafood and craft cocktails, but the specials Chef Joffrion presents are stunningly good.

Recently she offered gnocchi with tarragon cream sauce, with brown butter crab and scallops, onion crunch and basil and Parmesan as a special. See what I mean?

Tien

I visited Tien at IP Casino Resort & Spa with Chef Matt Kallinikos, who is the chef at Thirty-Two, the find dining restaurant at the IP, and was very impressed with everything I saw and tasted.

Tien is described as being Pan-Asian, and features foods from Vietnam, Korea, China, Japan and a few more. It is a AAA Three Diamond-rated restaurant, a status few achieve.

On my recent visit, we tried the roasted duck, tempura shrimp, Korean style short ribs and a selection of sushi and everything was delicious and beautifully plated.

If you are in the mood for Asian food, but not quite sure what you want, this place gets my vote.

The Tamale Shak

I have been hearing about the Tamale Shak from my chef friends for quite some time, and finally made the trek to 30th Avenue in Gulfport and tried it out. I was very impressed.

Chef/Owner Wendy Reed learned to cook from her grandmother in NOLA, and I might add, she learned very well. The menu is basic Tex-Mex, with tacos, burritos, and nachos, but the star is the homemade tamales.

I think they are the best around and will stand up to the best the Delta has to offer as well. Everything is so fresh and from scratch, including a red and green chili sauce that tops everything off beautifully.

The Tamale Shack is colorful and fun, but come early, they often sell out.

Po-Boy Express

Po-Boy Express in Ocean Springs has been around for a while, but just does not get the attention it deserves.

All of the po-boys are good, but the ones with added gravy are my favorites by far. The gravy is so good they go through at least two gallons a day.

They have all the regular po-boys you would expect, but some of the specialty are pretty amazing. I love the roast beef and shrimp po-boy, covered in a ton of gravy. As you might expect, a roll of paper towels is a necessity.

Kim Long

Kim Long in Biloxi was the first Vietnamese restaurant I visited when I moved to Biloxi in 1992, and it is every bit as good today as it was back then.

Of course, the main attraction is the pho, and it is world-class, but everything I have ever tried is good.

All of the pork=chop dishes are amazing, but my all-time favorite is the clay pot pork. It is pork that has been caramelized in a sweet sauce in a very hot oven and is served with steamed white rice. It is simply amazing.

Greenhouse Biloxi

Greenhouse Biloxi is a relative newcomer, but it you are interested in a good cup of coffee, an amazing biscuit or delicious sandwich, this place should be on your radar.

It is small, but there is also outside seating. They have a daily biscuit special, one sweet and one savory that is always very good.

But my favorite biscuit is the sweet potato biscuit, served with housemade pimento and cheese, or the smoked salmon, cream cheese and capers on a plan biscuit or sometimes a sweet potato biscuit.

The Green House also has the best ham sandwich around. This is a great place to meet friends for a coffee and a snack, or to bring your computer and get some work done.

BetMGB Book Bar & Grill

If you know me at all, you know I am crazy about a good cheeseburger, and Chef Kristian Wade’s Landmass burger at the BetMGB Book Bar & Grill at the Beau Rivage Resort & Casino is one of the best I have ever had.

This is the sports bar to end all sports bars, and the menu is loaded with amazingly good food, but the Landmass burger beats them all.

It is made with American cheese, Mississippi tomato fondue, caramelized onions, crispy bread and butter pickles, and is topped with a fried oyster. Simply amazing in every way.

The chili cheeseburger, wings and loaded nachos are also over-the-top.

Fine Dining

I am going to cheat just a bit and lump Vestige, Thirty-Two, and White Pillars in the same listing.

All three chefs, Alex Perry, Mat Kallinikos and Austin Sumrall are at the very top of their games. This is fine dining at its best, with everything from scratch, locally sourced wherever possible, and sublime atmospheres.

If you are interested in innovative cuisine, and top ranked chefs (both Perry and Sumrall are James Beard-nominated chefs), you have just got to visit these three restaurants.

Sicilian II

Sicilian II has been a longtime favorite, and when Chef Cristo, the original owner and chef passed away several years ago, I feared that things might change.

But, if anything, it has gotten better.

The gyros are amazing, I love the Greek salads and all the pasta dishes, but hands down, the Sicilian’s Favorite pizza is the best pizza on the Coast.

It is made with pepperoni, freshly diced tomato homemade Italian sausage and chopped oregano, and I can hardly get one home before it is gone.

La Norteña Restaurante

La Norteña Restaurante is simply one of the best Mexican places on the Coast. No, it is most definitely not Tex-Mex.

There are a few breakfast items that are good, like the huevos rancheros, and I think their tacos are the best, but if you are really, really hungry, the Burrito Loco is a two hander and delicious.

Also look for specials, like the beef broth soup, which is perfect for a chilly day, and in the summertime they have fresh-squeezed juices that are wonderful.

La Norteña is also a grocery store and meat market, that makes killer-good chicharrones.

It is certainly not an easy task to choose from so many good restaurants, but these are the ones that stood out to me in the past year.

Get your traveling shoes on, don’t forget the mask, and explore some of the best eats on the Coast.

This story was originally published December 24, 2020 at 5:50 AM.