Located in the heart of downtown Biloxi, One Thirty One Lameuse is quickly becoming the latest hotspot for tourists and local foodies alike.
One Thirty One Lameuse is owned and operated by Chef Lawrence Gautier and his longtime friend, Ryan Bolton, who met while attending Ole Miss. Lawrence trained at The Culinary Institute of America in Napa Valley, California, then worked in New Orleans at Sobou and under James Beard award-winning chef John Currence before coming home and reconnecting with Ryan.
Open since May, One Thirty One Lameuse is a spacious, yet intimate, venue perfect for spending an evening with someone special or celebrating with friends and family. The beautiful entryway and staircase showcasing historic photographs of Biloxi lead you up to the dining area, which, weather permitting, also has an open-air balcony.
One Thirty One Lameuse’s menu focuses on dishes that are sustainable and utilizes locally sourced and purveyed ingredients. Chef Lawrence says he expects to change the menu six to eight times a year, so if you see something on their current version you’d like to try, you shouldn’t wait too long.
“We really want people to feel like they’re sitting down for fine dining, but that it’s been made with love,” Chef Lawrence says. “We want you to leave having tried something new and exciting that gives you the comfort you’d have after being served dinner at your mama’s house.
“In our early stages of planning, we wanted a fine-dining restaurant that met somewhere between a fish camp and hunt club. We didn’t know what those three things combined would look like, but we certainly have brought them to life and are very excited about the result.”
The menu consists of small plates, soups, salads, sides and large plates to choose from and create the perfect meal. A seasonal soup, salads, gumbo and beignets always will remain on the menu, along with a beef, poultry, seafood and a vegetarian/vegan option. The intent is to consistently feature the farm-fresh ingrediens Chef Lawrence uses in his creatively inspired dishes and offer something for everyone.
My girlfriend, Lauryn, and I started with a few items from the small plates section of the menu. Up first were dilly beans — a similar concept to fried pickles, but with a twist. Pickled green beans are dredged in a light tempura batter and drizzled with comeback sauce and a Cajun and curry hot sauce aioli. It was nice and light and would make for a great bar snack while sipping on specialty cocktails.
Up next was one of the best bites I’ve had in a while, blue crab beignets. The creation, featuring fresh crabmeat and mascarpone cheese with a bit of green onion worked in, is fried in a light, crispy amber beer batter and topped with a green goddess sauce. They are served three to a small plate, and I’ll admit to being extremely excited when Lauryn left me the last one.
Sticking to a keto diet can be hard sometimes when dining out, so we were happy to see duck poppers on the menu. Reminiscent of an old Mississippi hunter camp snack that people threw together, a whole jalapeno pepper stuffed with duck breast and seasoned cream cheese is wrapped in seared bacon and sauced with a tasty local blackberry gastrique.
After being thoroughly impressed with our starters, I’m happy to say the excellence continued with the entrees. The seared amberjack served atop a cauliflower puree and topped with crabmeat, fermented lemon and pea shoots was light and refreshing with an intoxicating aroma. It was absolutely delightful.
It’s hard to decide what I enjoyed most, but the seared duck breast was a contender. Perfectly cooked duck was served with a seasoned hash of bell peppers and onions tossed with a tri-color fingerling blend of potatoes, caramelized figs and a burnt honey sauce. The sauce’s smoky, charred flavor was exceptional.
“We think you should give us a try because we are bringing locally-sourced foods to life through dishes you might not otherwise have experienced before,” says Chef Lawrence. “For locals, we are offering an ever-changing menu that will keep you coming back for something new.
“For tourists, we are offering what we like to call ‘an ode to old Biloxi,’ where the cuisine reflects what the Coast is best known for, what has been locally sourced and what is going to keep them returning to our city for more!”
One Thirty One Lameuse is open Wednesday through Saturday for lunch and dinner and on Sundays for Brunch. Happy hour is Monday through Friday from 3-5 p.m. and offers $1 off cocktails. A room for up to 260 guests and catering assistance is available for special events.
ONE THIRTY ONE LAMEUSE
131 Lameuse St., Biloxi
(228) 207-1689
www.facebook.com/OneThirtyOneLameuse