Page 142 - South Mississippi Living - June, 2019

DINING chef pro le
MEEOT urCHEF BRIAN NEVELS, GREAT SOUTHERN CLUB
story and photo courtesy of
Mississippi Coast Restaurant & Beverage Assoc.
For Brian Nevels, the joy and happiness people exhibit after a meal that truly ful lls the senses is sometimes as palatable as the food itself. Nevels has worked in the restaurant industry for 21 years and has spent the last four at Great Southern Club. He has been their chef for two-and-a-half years.
After high school, Nevels was pursuing a degree in ocean engineering when
he came across the Florida Culinary Institute while traveling to the mall.
a cafeteria worker and later owned a diner in Gautier, so I guess it’s deep in my blood.”
His favorite dish to prepare is smoked meat, old world style. “Not the saucy barbecue of the mainstream,” he said. “Just meat, bone, smoke, and time.”
He enjoys dining on sushi and sashimi, with uni being a top favorite. “Yes, it’s sea urchin,” he said.
Being a true chef is much more than being a good cook. “You have to be a
Chef
Brian Nevels
He stopped in, had a few conversations with an advisor, and soon changed schools and career paths. Nevel said he had already loved to cook.
“My grandmother tells stories about me sitting on the oor, imitating her while she was cooking supper for my grandfather,” he said. “Her mother was
leader, coach, secretary, problem-solver, soft shoulder, teacher, and inspiration, and that’s just on Tuesday,” Nevel said.
Great Southern Club is located at 2510 14th Street, Gulfport, and is a member of the Mississippi Coast Restaurant & Beverage Association.
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