Emeril's Gulf Coast Fish House

As 1HW so beautifully described it, Emeril's was perfectly delightful! Since you can read about the meal in his post, here are some different views on the evening.

First, the restaurant is much more on the casual side than many famous places, probably due to the tourist traffic and the kind of dress one sees at casinos. They do stipulate that men may not wear sleeveless shirts there, but other than that, the attire is "dressy casual." We have noticed that this seems to be a trend among many restaurants we have visited.

It is really a bit sad that the days of "dressing up" are long gone, even though we still enjoy doing it every so often. The decor follows suit, with no tablecloths over the copperclad-acrylic-covered tables, black linen napkins, and plain white dinnerware. It is a very contemporary-appearing interior.

The serving and cooking staff has been

thoroughly trained in providing the best possible food and service. It was a "whatever we can do for you, just let us know" type of atmosphere. They were efficient and charming with no stuffiness whatsoever! The water glass was continually refilled, clean forks and knives were provided with each course, and empty plates were promptly removed. One could not ask for more! When I asked about taking a picture of the kitchen, Anthony checked for an OK, and the kitchen chefs were absolutely beaming! Our servers also were pleased to be included, we thought, so we hope you enjoy the pictures.

Joseph was particularly interesting. He was born and raised in Biloxi, which is located a few miles east of Gulfport, right on the shore of the Gulf of Mexico. At the time of Hurrican Katrina, he had finished his chemical engineering degree at LSU and was working in Baton Rouge in a variety of occupations. When the storm hit, he immediately hurried back to Biloxi to be with and help his family, half of whom had lost their homes. For months after that, everyone in the community worked to dig out of the mess, and he spent long days working a chain saw. He said that there was no ice for six months, but there was never a shortage of cold beer. Apparently, people traded cold beer for favors and jobs, and after long days of the intense and emotional manual labor, he said they all got together for a meal of whatever they could salvage, have a beer and laugh. They raided freezers that were still working for deer, beef, pork, chicken, whatever they could find, and barbequed it. It was just a process of making do. His mother had begun dating an Air Force officer after his father had died, and she decided to leave Biloxi after the hurricane, joining him in Arizona. Joseph begged his mother not to leave, because it was Thursday, and the Meals on Wheels crew from the Salvation Army was coming down the street with the day's choice meal of lasagna, always a treat. She left anyhow, but he stayed on. He has really enjoyed working for Emeril's group, although he looks forward to beginning his own business, maybe a restaurant of his own, maybe wine tasting, maybe who knows what. He is in no hurry to settle down, feeling that there are so many wonderful opportunities ahead of him. We agree! Go for it, Joseph, and if you read this, please let us know if we reported anything incorrectly! And happy wanderings to you, too! YEAH, BABE! BAM!