The Chimneys Restaurant
1640 Beach Blvd.
Gulfport, MS
228-863-7604
Lunch: 11:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Dinner (5:30-9)Tuesday through Thursday
Fri and Saturday - 5:30 until 10 with jazz until...
Sunday 11:30-2 p and 5:30-9
Closed Mondays
http://www.chimneysrestaurant.com/
By Jane Feehan
The doors to The Chimneys Restaurant re-opened for business in January after a Hurricane Katrina- imposed hiatus. At the original site in a new and beautiful Acadian style structure, this Gulfport jewel is already a popular spot. Their years-old reputation and food serves them well.
The chef is back (along with some other staff), preparing food The Chimneys is noted for. Shrimp crab chowder is chock full of seafood and lightly spiced – excellent. I dined on stuffed flounder – a whole fish – that tasted like it was just pulled from the water. Asparagus and a salad with a lightly spiced Creole ranch dressing were perfect accompaniments. A fellow diner ordered sauteed shrimp; the dish, with plenty of fresh shrimp, was heavy on the lemon. But the meal ended well. The chef recently added some great dessert items to the menu including a coconut cake ... delicious.
This is a sophisticated, yet unpretentious place. Overheard were guests claiming the new Chimneys has the same warm, friendly look and feel of the one the storm destroyed. The only criticism would be the poor lighting after dark of the dining room. Hopefully, that will be remedied. The owners, the Nords*, have plans to open the porch for dining when weather permits; it’s a beautiful setting with an expansive Gulf vista. If it's the view you're after, go for lunch or early dinner. Live jazz is played on weekends starting at 10 p.m. in the lounge area.
Dinners run about $15-30 - quite reasonable in this setting - and includes salad and a vegetable. Menu at link above. Service: Good. © 2010 All right reserved.
* Unfortunately, Dix Nord passed away April 17, 2012 after a courageous battle against cancer.
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