Restaurant News & Reviews

MS chef from ‘Chopped’ & ‘Top Chef’ opens new Ocean Springs restaurant. How to see preview

The new Hen & Egg restaurant isn’t quite ready for its debut at The Traveler in Ocean Springs, yet a sneak peak of what is to come will be held poolside at Gulf Hills Resort.

The Summertime “Hatch Party,” is from 5-9 p.m. Friday, May 31, giving those who attend the family-friendly event a chance to meet Chef Nick Wallace and see the makeover of the resort off Washington Avenue at 13701 Paso Road.

The event is a mashup of the resort where Elvis Presley stayed in the late 1950s and the artistry of Walter Anderson.

Foodies will recognize Wallace, a Mississippi native who has appeared on “Chopped” and “Chopped Champions” on the Food Network and on season 19 of Bravo’s “Top Chef.”

His newest project is Hen & Egg Restaurant by Nick Wallace, which promises breakfast, lunch and chicken. It’s opening soon at The Traveler, an expansion of the Walter Anderson Museum of Art in downtown Ocean Springs.

For the pop-up event, Wallace will take over the kitchen at Gulf Hills and shows how he combines his Mississippi family farm origins with French and global techniques to create what he calls “Modern Mississippi” cuisine.

Food, until it’s sold out, and drinks will be available for purchase and yard games will add to the fun.

Tickets are available online at no charge.

The pool deck at the newly renovated Gulf Hills Hotel and Resort in Ocean Springs will host the pop-up of a new restaurant coming to The Traveler at the Walter Anderson Museum of Art. According to the hotel’s current owners, the pool is the oldest in Mississippi and Elvis Presley swam there.
The pool deck at the newly renovated Gulf Hills Hotel and Resort in Ocean Springs will host the pop-up of a new restaurant coming to The Traveler at the Walter Anderson Museum of Art. According to the hotel’s current owners, the pool is the oldest in Mississippi and Elvis Presley swam there. Courtesy of Gulf Hills Resort

Construction continues at The Traveler, adjacent the Walter Anderson Museum. Also part of the expansion are:

The Traveler Coffee & Tea Room

Teaching and edible gardens

Sculpture and native plants

Performance stage

Walking paths

Community bikes

The Walter Anderson Museum in Ocean Springs on Tuesday, May 21, 2024. The museum plans to add an additional building called The Traveler to the museum’s campus.
The Walter Anderson Museum in Ocean Springs on Tuesday, May 21, 2024. The museum plans to add an additional building called The Traveler to the museum’s campus. Hannah Ruhoff Sun Herald
The Traveler building at the Walter Anderson Museum in Ocean Springs on Tuesday, May 21, 2024. The museum plans to renovate the building and open a coffeeshop and a restaurant in the building.
The Traveler building at the Walter Anderson Museum in Ocean Springs on Tuesday, May 21, 2024. The museum plans to renovate the building and open a coffeeshop and a restaurant in the building. Hannah Ruhoff Sun Herald
Mississippi native and chef Nick Wallace is opening his new Hen & Egg restaurant at The Traveler at Walter Anderson Museum of Art in downtown Ocean Springs. A pop-up preview is planned at Gulf Hills Resort.
Mississippi native and chef Nick Wallace is opening his new Hen & Egg restaurant at The Traveler at Walter Anderson Museum of Art in downtown Ocean Springs. A pop-up preview is planned at Gulf Hills Resort. Courtesy of Walter Anderson Museum
The Traveler building at the Walter Anderson Museum in Ocean Springs on Tuesday, May 21, 2024. The museum plans to renovate the building and open a coffeeshop and a restaurant in the building.
The Traveler building at the Walter Anderson Museum in Ocean Springs on Tuesday, May 21, 2024. The museum plans to renovate the building and open a coffeeshop and a restaurant in the building. Hannah Ruhoff Sun Herald

This story was originally published May 22, 2024 at 5:00 AM.

Mary Perez
Sun Herald
Mary has won numerous awards for her business and casino articles for the Sun Herald. She also writes about Biloxi, jobs and the new restaurants and development coming to the Coast. She is a fourth-generation journalist. 
Get unlimited digital access
#ReadLocal

Try 1 month for $1

CLAIM OFFER