Page 42 - South Mississippi Living - January, 2018

DINING all history
Famous Restaurant
Returns to Biloxi
new restaurant concept has opened on the Mississippi Gulf Coast in a historic location. The White Pillars restaurant is farm to table with seasonal ingredients and
Southern cuisine. Chef Austin Sumrall and his wife, Tresse, are pleased to bring their take on this concept to the Coast.
Astory and photos courtesy of The Focus Group
This turn-of-the-century 34-foot-long walnut bar is the oldest known on the Coast.
Chef Austin works daily to source the highest quality and freshest local ingredients for his dishes. Everything you see, touch, and taste will likely be from Mississippi. Every menu item lists its source so guests will know where their food comes from. This
is important for the Sumralls as they strive to give guests the very best. And since the best comes in limited quantities, the menu is likely to change on a daily basis. Chef Austin said, “It’s important to us to support local farmers and suppliers. Their ingredients are of superior quality, which aligns with all aspects of our restaurant.”
Dining can also be enjoyed in the bar and lounge area known as the WP. With an extensive list of small- batch whiskeys, wines, and premium craft cocktails, the bar will be the go- to hot spot in town. The WP has its own menu of small bites and seasonal cocktails. The turn-of-the-century 34-foot-long walnut bar is the oldest
known on the Coast and was originally a fixture in Chicago’s Blackstone Hotel. From Chicago, this elegant fixture traveled to Biloxi’s Magic Door Lounge before making its way to White Pillars in the late 1960s.
Gunston Hall, which houses White Pillars, was built in 1905. The history of the original family and building can be found at history.biloxiwhitepillars. com. The original owners of White Pillars, John and Virginia Mladinich
of Biloxi, had a hospitality empire with several local restaurants and bars. Longing for a steak and seafood concept with “old southern charm,” White Pillars was born.
Chef Austin is originally from McComb, Mississippi. He graduated from the University of Mississippi with a degree in Hospitality Management and attended the Culinary Institute
of America. Prior to relocating to the Coast, he was Chef de Cuisine of Hot and Hot Fish Club in Birmingham, Alabama.
biloxiwhitepillars.com 228.207.0885
42 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • January 2018
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