GULFPORT Miss. Celebrity Chef Emeril Lagasse has opened his tenth restaurant, Emeril's Gulf Coast Fish House at the Island View Casino resort here.
The restaurant is Lagasse's first new restaurant since opening three in 2003. His restaurants typically are located in tourist-oriented cities, including Las Vegas, Nev.; Atlanta; Orlando, Fla.; New Orleans; and Miami.
Lagasse said the Gulfport location is "particularly special to me because my family and I have very close ties to the Gulf Coast." His wife grew up in Gulfport, and the couple had a vacation home here before it was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, according to a spokesman. The spokesman said Emeril wanted to do something to help the area and believes the region has even better access than New Orleans does.
The menu explores "Coastal Creole" cuisine, described by the restaurant as a combination of Lagasse's signature "new New Orleans" fare and ingredients unique to the Gulfport region. It features some recipes for which Lagasse is already known, such as New Orleans Barbecued Shrimp and Banana Cream. Other items include Crispy Jumbo Lump Crabmeat Cake with Corn Maque Choux, and Shrimp & Grits.
Lagasse is known for not only his restaurants but also for his role on the Food Network as well as a number of cookbooks he has published. He is the chef/proprietor of 10 restaurants, including three in New Orleans (Emeril's, NOLA and Emeril's Delmonico); two in Las Vegas (Emeril's New Orleans Fish House and Delmonico Steakhouse); two in Orlando (Emeril's Orlando and Emeril's Tchoup Chop); one in Atlanta (Emeril's Atlanta); and one in Miami (Emeril's Miami Beach).
