Modeled after the glitz and glamour of classic supper clubs of the 1930s and 40s, Sapphire Supper Club features some of the finest steaks, seafood, wine and live entertainment on the Coast.
Located in Hotel Legends, a beautifully restored building of luxury suites in the heart of Biloxi that has sat vacant since Katrina, the Sapphire Supper Club will take you back to Hollywood’s Golden Age, providing the perfect atmosphere to spend an intimate evening with someone special or celebrate with friends.
Since its grand opening last October, the Sapphire quickly has made a name for itself with attention to detail, sophisticated ambiance and throwback entertainment.
“Unlike just dining out, the Sapphire Supper Club is truly an experience from the time you arrive until leaving,” says Clint Taylor, director of food and beverage. “We strive to create an experience that transports guests back in time to a Las Vegas-style supper club.
“Dining out is supposed to be fun. We threw out the old, formal rules that many fine-dining restaurants still cling to. At Sapphire, the energy level is high, the servers are relaxed, and our guests have a blast.”
Walking into the Sapphire, you may feel like you’ve been transported to a different era. Elevated booths line most of the perimeter, and photographs of Hollywood and Vegas stars adorn the walls. Exquisite light fixtures and sapphire-blue accent lighting enhance the mood, and custom-designed, light-up tables, covered with white tablecloths, give off a cool glow. A large bar of white marble spans almost the entirety of the back wall, and a grand piano sits in the middle of the room, drawing attention to the live acts Thursday through Saturday nights.
Jesse Hill, “The Southern Swinger,” entertains guests on Thursdays, and Spencer Racca, “The Cajun Crooner,” is the featured performer on Fridays and Saturdays. Singing hits made famous by Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Tony Bennett, Nat King Cole and many others, they will take you back to a bygone time. Having paid a visit on a recent Friday night, my girlfriend, Lauryn, and I both enjoyed watching Spencer work the room with his delightful performance of classics, even serenading one lucky guest with “Happy Birthday.”
We started our evening by ordering cocktails from our excellent server, Michael Martin. It was hard to decide what to choose from the large drink menu, which we were told General Manager Tony Hill had developed with an eye toward post-prohibition, Rat Pack era-style cocktails. Lauryn had a delicious Bellini made from prosecco, crème de peche and Napa peaches, and I went with the sapphire experience — a nice presentation of a subzero, chilled vodka martini with a tasting flight of house garnishes.
Along with our cocktails, we received a loaf of fresh bread from a server carrying a plate full of butter pats, which were built up to resemble a cake. The butter was served with tongs — a detail that raised the sophistication level beyond what’s seen in most restaurants these days.
When our appetizers started arriving, each one brought excitement for what was to come. Our first course consisted of a beautiful Mississippi Gulf Coast blue crab cake, topped with tomatoes and grilled corn relish and served over a classic remoulade sauce, and a steak tartare, made with hand-chopped filet mignon, egg, capers, olive oil and smoked oyster aioli. Both were prepared to perfection, and we immediately started making plans to return to try the others, such as the truffled french fries, baked oysters, stuffed mushrooms and bee’s knees Brussels sprouts made with local honey.
For our second course, we had a traditional French onion soup made with gruyere cheese and toasted French bread croutons, along with a classic bacon-and-blue-cheese wedge salad with green goddess dressing. The soup was big enough to be a meal itself, and the salad was crisp and refreshing — the perfect dish to cleanse the palate before our main course.
Numerous seafood, steak and specialty dishes caught our eye on the menu, developed by Chef Jeremy Noffke as a tribute to classic supper clubs. Lauryn chose an amazing Chilean sea bass with wild mushrooms, corn relish and brown butter. Chef Jeremy keeps his fish whole on ice, then filets them himself just before dinner service. The freshness was quite evident. I had a perfectly cooked, hand-cut, bone-in filet mignon, topped with delightful boiled shrimp as an enhancement. Nothing more can be said except that there wasn’t anything leftover to bring home.
We ended our night with one of the best desserts I have had in a while: a mile-high pie of peppermint, chocolate and vanilla bean ice cream, topped with toasted marshmallow and drizzled with chocolate sauce. I’m not normally a fan of marshmallows, but pastry and dessert chef LaFrieda Ray has created something I can only describe as heavenly. Be sure to save room for one.
Sapphire Supper Club serves its full dinner menu Thursday through Saturday from 5-10 p.m., with the bar open seven days a week with a limited menu starting at 4 p.m. Reservations are highly recommended.
SAPPHIRE SUPPER CLUB
674 Beach Blvd
Biloxi, MS
(228) 400-4001
www.hotellegends.com/sapphire-supper-club