Award-winning couple makes Southern Living top 20 list for new Coast restaurant
Southern Living just named its 20 best new restaurants in the South and the only one to make this list for Mississippi is on the Gulf Coast.
“How exciting is that?” asked Tresse Sumrall. She and her husband, Chef Austin Sumrall, opened Siren Social Club and Hotel Vela at 1409 24th Ave. in downtown Gulfport in October.
They found out they were named to the list when someone shared a social media post, she said.
“I feel like this is one of the publications that we have always dreamt about being in. I don’t know for sure — I don’t think that we’ve been in it for White Pillars or Siren before.”
White Pillars is the fine dining restaurant the couple operates at the beach in Biloxi.
It’s an honor that a major publication sees the value in the restaurant they built, she said, “and I’m excited to see what comes of it.”
Other restaurants on the list, in no special order, are in Houston, Nashville, Birmingham, New Orleans, Richmond and other cities. They were picked by the editors of Southern Living, who research and visit restaurants across the South.
Josh Miller, senior food editor, said about Siren Social Club: “Hidden inside the Hotel Vela in historic Gulfport, Mississippi, this tiki-themed speakeasy serves up more than bespoke cocktails. Their admirably robust menu indulges coastal cravings via seasonal oysters and Gulf shrimp while appeasing land lovers with steakhouse favorites and handmade pastas. Swanky and cool, it’s a fun spot for early birds and night owls alike.”
The Sumralls went a different direction when they created Siren Social Club, that is smaller, more moody and a lot different than White Pillars.
The lighting is dim. “You can hear the cocktail shaken. You can smell the food from the kitchen,” she said when the restaurant opened.
“It’s been fun. It’s cool that you can stay at the hotel and have dinner,” she said.
Chef Austin, a graduate of Culinary Institute of America and a James Beard semi-finalist for “Best Chef South,” created the food and drink menus that include some of their favorites. The restaurant has a raw bar, several types of oysters, real beef Wellington, homemade pastas and prime rib eye.
Hotel Vela has 16 guest rooms and shares the 1920s building with the Social Club.
This story was originally published May 28, 2025 at 2:47 PM.
