Page 55 - South Mississippi Living - October, 2016

these days, a meal to be remembered can easily be had just from the appetizer selection. Start with the bacon wrapped shrimp — made smoky with apple wood, spicy with a Thai-chili sauce and generous with six jumbo shrimp. Add fried green tomatoes, and a selection you do not often see, but is much welcomed, in pot pie skillets. This Southern classic is offered with your choice of braised beef short ribs or crawfish. These three small plates can easily feed and satisfy a table of two.
The menu offers a few soups, a good handful of salads, and a more-than-adequate selection of “land offerings,” but move quickly to the seafood selections and you
will find were Cora’s comes into its own in a serious way. The blackened red fish is offered simply as a filet, garnished with a delicious lemon butter sauce, and half a lemon. No other accoutrement is necessary with a dish so good.
You will also be impressed with the crab stuffed Gulf flounder, a Biloxi classic for generations. It’s a generous offering that could easily be shared, and delicious enough to satisfy any appetite. Any of the selections on the seafood menu are good choices, but the Chilean sea bass is a standout. It’s another example of how Chef Gooch loves
a minimalist approach, presenting perfectly cooked fish, lightly sauced with lemon butter, and paired only with julienned vegetables.
There is also a brunch menu on Saturday and Sunday.
Combine a great restaurant and solid wine offerings presented with elegance and charm, and Cora’s moves to the top of the list of must-try places on the Gulf Coast.
ABOVE TOP: BILOXI STYLE stuffed ounder ABOVE: CRAB DIP, a chef’s special that may not always be on the menu.
FOR MORE REFLECTIONS OF THE GULF COAST >> www.smliving.net
October 2016 • SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living 55