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The Beau Rivage Resort & Casino is MGM Resorts International’s AAA Four Diamond destination resort in Biloxi, Mississippi. Billed as “the Crown Jewel of the Mississippi Gulf Coast,” the 1,700-plus-room Beau Rivage boasts a bevy of award-winning restaurants and entertainment, shopping, and gaming options.
However something was missing.
Coastal Mississippi is well known across the country—as well as many parts of the globe—for its delectable seafood offerings. Yet, even with the scenic Gulf of Mexico literally in Beau Rivage’s backyard, none of the 12 restaurants at the casino were devoted specifically to seafood (mainly offering it as limited options, for those that do).
There is always a high demand for food and beverage offerings amongst Beau Rivage’s in-house guests and local/regional visitors—and many of them were requesting a seafood-centric restaurant.
To satiate this desire, the Beau Rivage Resort & Casino opened Coraline’s, a new fine dining seafood restaurant, this past June. The new establishment features local fresh seafood, world-class service, and architecture and atmosphere inspired by the New Orleans French Quarter.
“Adding a venue with the quality of cuisine and ambiance offered by Coraline’s had been the missing link to [Beau Rivage’s] resort offerings,” says Austin Dedeaux, executive chef at Coraline’s. “Coraline’s creates an outstanding experience for guests. [They] are now able to experience Gulf-to-table fare with modern, upscale seafood without leaving the resort.”
The Menu
Coraline’s Gulf Coast-centric seafood menu is a collaboration between Dedeaux and Beau Rivage Executive Chef Kristian Wade. Both are Mississippi Gulf Coast natives who have honed their culinary skills with more than three decades of combined experience in award-winning MGM Resorts and Coastal Mississippi restaurants.
Biloxi’s prime location on the Gulf of Mexico means the chefs are able to introduce premier seafood and outstanding regional seasonal cuisine to their guests. Highlights of Coraline’s ingredient-driven menu include oyster shucking, char-grilled and steamed seafood preparations, cold selections, hot appetizers, soups (including Beau Rivage’s award-winning Seafood Gumbo, Oyster Bisque, and Turtle Soup), salads, non-seafood (chicken, pork, and steak) main courses, hearty sides, over-the-top desserts, and an exquisite wine list.
“Coraline’s features traditional Cajun and Creole-inspired recipes with a modern hometown twist,” says Dedeaux. “Our deep-rooted passion for coastal cuisine has been inspired by family traditions. For example, many of the menu items are inspired by the family meals our grandmothers used to make in a very traditional manner with lots of flavors that take time to develop. For a taste that really hits home, the flavors take time to develop and cannot be rushed.
“At the end of the day, we’re creating real Gulf Coast cuisine.”
Early in the developmental stage of Coraline’s, both Dedeaux and Wade found one of the biggest challenges was designing a menu to a kitchen that they had only seen on paper at that point. “We had to make changes to it, once the kitchen was finished,” says Dedeaux.
The menu was developed over a one-year period with research and development. At the time, Dedeaux was the Executive Chef at Beau Rivage’s award-winning steakhouse, BR Prime. “[This] allowed us to run specials to gauge the guests’ reactions and feedback for potential items on the Coraline’s menu,” he says.
When it comes to locally sourcing seafood, Dedeaux cites pricing consistency as one of the biggest challenges—especially when it comes to managing these variances and still presenting set menu prices. “Sourcing fresh crab and fresh fish, the prices can often fluctuate,” he says. “Hurricane season can also impact the availability of fresh seafood [in the area] with storms entering the Gulf.”
Dedeaux says that Snapper Coraline is proving a standout among Coraline’s main courses, as it includes Blackened shrimp, mushrooms, sauteed potatoes, asparagus, and Coraline’s sauce. Another popular dish is the Redfish Court-Bouillon, which is slow simmered with holy trinity, blue crab, shrimp, tomatoes, and white rice served with French bread.
“The oysters are also very popular. We offer them seven different ways,” says Dedeaux. “In addition to the traditional oysters on the half shell, chargrilled, and Rockefeller, we have 875 oysters, with blue crab, shrimp, mushrooms, white truffle sauce and scallions, and Lighthouse oysters topped with crawfish, andouille sausage, tomato and savory velouté sauce.”
Reimagined classic cocktails are also offered at Coraline’s. These include the Old Poetic, crafted with Milagro Reposado Tequila, house-made Limoncello, Orgeat Syrup, Fuego Bitters, grapefruit and mint, as well as the refreshing Garden to Glass made with Chopin Vodka, Elderflower, cucumber juice, lemon juice, simple syrup, and lemon peel.
“The goal of the beverage program is to offer a twist on some of New Orleans’ classic cocktails while also highlighting local spirits and incorporating fresh ingredients,” says Dedeaux. “Examples include the Magnolia Sour made with Old Soul Mississippi Bourbon and the Coastal Decadence Martini made with Cathead Vodka.”
Dedeaux says that their most popular drink has been the Night on the Bayou Martini made with Tito’s vodka, blueberry and lavender syrup, lemon, and pineapple that has proven “sweet, light, and refreshing.” Their second most popular drink is Where There’s Smoke, made with Knob Creek bourbon, maple syrup, black walnut bitters, blood orange, and smoke infusion.
The Design
The Gulf Coast experience at Coraline’s extends beyond the menu. The architecture and aesthetics at the new restaurant reflect the transformative design and one-of-a-kind experience popular with restaurants today while still featuring an appearance deeply rooted in the sensibility of New Orleans’s French Quarter and rich heritage of the Southern Mississippi region.
Several architectural styles are pulled from with a touch of “traditional” twist.
A French-inspired, trellis-covered alley adorned with New Orleans’ inspired art transports guests to an “upscale, yet comfortable,” dining experience at Coraline’s. Bold, checkered marble mosaic flooring, cream-colored drapery flanking the arches and frame wood panels columns with custom sconces, and a hand-painted custom mural featuring floral motif in the cove above the main dining area further reflect local styles. A series of grand, arched windows allow guests to catch a glimpse of the Gulf Coast waterfront outside.
Beau Rivage commissioned Los Angeles-based Avenue Interior Design for the design of Coraline’s. The design studio had a blank canvas and complete creative liberty when it came to aesthetics. It was still early in the process at this time, and the future identity of the restaurant had yet to be established.
According to Andrea DeRosa, co-founder of Avenue Interior Design, a “strong, introspective” design process was crucial in the creations of Coraline’s appearance. “It was imperative to create a unique identity that didn’t overshadow the complexity of the cuisine while creating an inviting, charismatic atmosphere that aimed to attract both the local community, distinguished leaders, and first-time visitors to the property,” she says. “Thoughtful design choices not only enhance the aesthetic appeal but also ensure functionality, comfort, and a unique dining experience that is quickly becoming a hallmark of the resort.”
Since the footprint of the restaurant was quite generous, much attention was given to scale and proportion when celebrating this individual space and unifying them as a whole. Avenue Interior Design was able to create rooms within the larger room. “The main dining area provided the axis in which all the other areas radiate from. The bar, group banquette seating along the window wall, the oyster grill, and private dining all activate the perimeter of the restaurant and create the wonderful atmosphere that embodies Coraline’s,” explains DeRosa.
Color is meticulously used at Coraline’s in a strong way. The rich green color palette establishes the tone for the venue and reinforces the “sophistication and importance” of this restaurant as premier dining destination in the region. This deep-hued color interestingly is not traditionally associated with the coast; instead it rather reflects the surrounding natural environment that flourishes in the warm, coastal weather. “Ultimately color was used to create an immediate connection with the landscape and impactful sense of place,” says DeRosa.
Although Coraline’s is located inside a casino, the restaurant is truly a destination in and of itself. Avenue Interior Design has been involved with casino design in various capacities, so they have learned that each venue has its own distinctive identity to delineate itself from surrounding venues. This means that designing a venue adjacent to a casino space can be a bit of a “wildcard” in a way. “We enjoyed the proximity to the gaming floor as the energy from the casino positively impacts—and activates—the area surrounding the venue,” says DeRosa.
Feeding off this energy, Avenue Interior Design crafted a façade for Caroline’s that was expressive of the interior finishes to establish the venue’s unique identity from that of the gaming floor. For example, they designed an “alley” to draw guests into the space; this helped “transport” visitors out of the casino and into the restaurant.
Overall DeRosa feels design played a supporting role to the menu in the success of Coraline’s. “Dedication from the chef and the property to provide an incredible, regionally focused menu is the real star of the venue,” she says.
Conclusion
Coraline’s is open Sundays and Mondays and Thursday through Saturday.
While staffing continues to be huge challenge for restaurants across the country, this struggle has not proven the case at Coraline’s. With 12 restaurants and 19 kitchens onsite at Beau Rivage Resort & Casino, Coraline’s has fortunately been able to promote from within—much of their staff being drawn from internal transfers within the Beau Rivage family.
“Adding this restaurant to our culinary portfolio has opened doors for team members to move into new positions and advance in their careers or take on new roles within the company,” says Dedeaux.
Coraline’s has proven a tremendous destination spot since opening its doors, and there are several reasons for this. “Coraline’s Gulf view, French Quarter-inspired design, and locally sourced seafood menu showcase the region’s rich heritage and culture in a setting that excites all the senses,” says Dedeaux.
Jeff Wooten is a writer and editor with twenty-five years of experience covering topics such as business management, signage, digital displays, safety/OSHA, marketing, and more. He has also hosted podcasts and webinars related to a variety of business-related subjects.
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