Mosaic Restaurant and Bar in Gulfport serves up international cuisine, fun times
Mosaic Restaurant and Bar in downtown Gulfport is aptly named. Its menu is indeed a mosaic of foods from around the world.
Vietnamese spring rolls, Spanish tapas, Greek gyros and Cuban sandwiches are all on the menu. Several types of hamburgers and quesadillas are available, too. Many of the items are made with beer from the nearby Chandeleur Brewery, and tickets for Chandeleur brewery tours can be purchased at the restaurant. The menu differs considerably from that of its sister restaurant in Ocean Springs, going in much less of a tapas direction. However, some of the Ocean Springs dishes, as well as the hookah pipes are available.
Mosaic is a fairly large restaurant with a spacious, well-lit dining room, a long bar, a brick courtyard and extra dining and banquet space upstairs. The staff is courteous and knowledgeable, and the service is relaxed but timely.
The Eight-hour Cuban Sandwich ($12) stood out. It is made with the restaurant's signature eight-hour roasted pork and is perfectly assembled with melted Swiss cheese, Cuban mojito sauce, bell peppers, onions, bacon, pickles and quality bread that resisted just enough. Like other sandwiches on the menu, it is served with seasoned fries. The chorizo dip appetizer ($9) also is delicious with a moderate heat level, smooth, rich cheese and generous chunks of chorizo sausage. Eaten with tortilla chips, it was by far the most addictive cheese dip I've ever encountered, and I cleaned the entire ramekin in record time. The menu is small, just two pages, but with the variety of cuisine on it, there will certainly be something for everyone. Entree prices average around $12.
The bar is well-stocked with all manner of drinks, and the house specialties include several types of mojitos and bloody Marys. There is also a decent beer selection, including several Chandeleur products and many other craft and import brews available, both in bottles and on draft. Happy hour runs from 3 to 7 p.m. and includes $1 off of draft beers and $2 off of well drinks, as well as food specials. The bar runs other specials including $5 margaritas on Mondays, $5 mojitos on Tuesdays and $5 martinis on Wednesdays. The restaurant also serves a $20 Sunday brunch with bottomless mimosas from 12 to 5 p.m.
Mosaic hosts several weekly events, including trivia on Monday nights and karaoke on Tuesday nights starting at 9 p.m. Live music is offered regularly, including guitarist and singer Anderson Domingues every Thursday at 7 p.m. In addition, the restaurant can be rented out as an event space or venue for upwards of 150 guests.
This story was originally published November 12, 2015 at 7:03 PM with the headline "Mosaic Restaurant and Bar in Gulfport serves up international cuisine, fun times ."