Page 42 - South Mississippi Living - March, 2018

ADDRESS:
715 Washington Ave. Ocean Springs
PHONE:
228.818.9699
HOURS:
Tues. - Sat. 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. 5:30 p.m. - 9 p.m.
VESTIGE
story and photos by Julian Brunt
If you are a serious foodie, you will be delighted to learn that Vestige is now open for lunch. It is a petit menu to be sure, but every item on it is prepared
to the same standards of excellence
as the evening menu. So, if you find yourself wandering the tree lined streets of picturesque Ocean Springs, head to Washington Avenue and a culinary treat you will long remember.
For almost five years Vestige has been pushing the limits of fine dining on
the Gulf Coast. Chef Alex Perry is fond of calling it “casual fine dining,” but
he also uses the phrase “expressionist cuisine” to describe his approach to the magic that comes out of his kitchen.
In truth, describing this jewel of a restaurant is a difficult task: it is farm
and Gulf to table, and it is Modern American (a style of cooking without much European influence). You will find local influences — Southern and Creole — but much of what Vestige is all about is Alex Perry.
Chef Perry is profoundly insightful. He will push your culinary limits, but not offend you with frou-frou cuisine. What you are going to find at Vestige is amazingly good food, served with panache and astounding attention to detail.
Diane Stevens, a poet friend from Ocean Springs and New York City, and I visited Vestige on a Saturday and, as expected, we were wowed. We started with a tomato salad that was as near perfection as is possible to achieve. It
42 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • March 2018
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ABOVE: PORK TENDERLOIN RIGHT: TOMATO SALAD
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