Page 144 - South Mississippi Living - September, 2018

200 NORTH BEACH
ADDRESS:
200 North Beach Blvd., Bay St. Louis
PHONE:
228.467.9388
HOURS:
Monday-Sunday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
story and photos by Julian Brunt
200 North Beach has the right touch. It’s a comfortable local hangout with
a cool New Orleans spin. The vibe is relaxed, with high ceilings and photos of old town Bay St Louis on the walls. You can sit in the main dining area, upstairs, on the balcony, or the patio out front, whatever suits your mood. There are many factors that go into making
a successful restaurant — atmosphere, menu, service — all are obvious and important, but there is one variable that isn’t so readily apparent. I call it kitchen mojo. If the kitchen staff isn’t hitting on all cylinders, if there are bad vibes over the stove, what comes out of the service window just won’t get it.
It’s one of the reasons North
Beach nails it. Executive Chef Keith Becton runs a tight ship, and sous chefs Lance Franklin and Curry Beatie have the smooth moves of seasoned
professionals. There are no wasted movements, no pauses, just a fluidity that comes with years of practice.
Staff, atmosphere and all the rest wouldn’t be worth a hoot if the menu wasn’t just as impressive. I am big into small plates. A huge portion just doesn’t do anything for me, but North Beach offers close to 20 options. How can you go wrong with a great menu and spot- on kitchen?
The fried green tomatoes with seafood Newburg sauce is my
top choice. It has classic Southern touches, and the Newburg sauce is a great change up from the old school hollandaise that you might expect. I also tried a dozen charbroiled oysters with garlic butter, and aged parmesan cheese. It’s not an unusual combination, but what makes this dish stand out is that the oysters are not overcooked.
144 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • September 2018
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ABOVE: FRIED GREEN TOMATOES RIGHT: CHICKEN FLORENTINE
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