Corks & Cleaver Shows Off on the Mississippi Gulf Coast

by Jay Ducote

Chef David Dickensauge used to be a fixture in the Baton Rouge food scene, running the kitchen at Bin 77 with a creative and ever-changing menu as well as participating in numerous charity events by serving up inspired dishes to the crowds. When I got word that he'd be leaving Bin 77 to head to the Mississippi Gulf Coast, I knew it would be the capital city's loss and the coast's gain. 

I recently got a chance to check out his first restaurant in Gulfport, MS, Corks & Cleaver. With only a quick glance of the menu, you can evidently see his flair and flavor profile. A friend and I decided to feast on a sampling of small plates along with a bottle of wine, after all, corks is in the name. 

Coffee Braised Veal Cheeks, Truffled Popcorn Grits, Fermented Greens, Sweet Corn Pudding, Parsnip Volutte

Tender, and packed with flavor, the coffee braised veal cheeks fell apart at the prodding of a fork. That bitterness of the coffee offset the sweetness of the corn while the dish got an acidic bite from the fermented greens. The only thing I would have liked to add to this dish would be a crunch textural element. The grits, greens, corn pudding and veal all had a soft and smooth texture and could have used a snap but the flavors were on point.

Creole Devils on Horseback: Bacon wrapped Boudin and Andouille stuffed Medjool Dates with Piquillo-Tomato Sauce

A staple of Chef Dickensauge's arsenal is the Creole Devils on Horseback. He's made these before, he'll make them again and I'll be happy to eat them every time. Boudin and andouille get stuffed in a sweet Medjool date, then all of that is wrapped in bacon and plated atop a piquillo pepper and tomato sauce. The dish is smoky, porky, sweet, spicy and tangy. I need more.

Duck Confit Beignets, Bok Choy Kimchi, Smoked Date Marmalade, Cayenne Powdered Sugar

We opted for the duck confit beignets as our final small plate, because duck. These crispy, fluffy orbs of fried dough came stuffed with savory duck confit and bok choy kimchi. It's an interesting flavor combination to be sure, but one that works on multiple levels. The tartness from kimchi is just enough to counter the richness from the duck and dough, while the cayenne powdered sugar left just the right amount of sweet and spice.

David Dickensauge's Tres Leches Cake with Blueberries and Blackberries

We had to have something for dessert and our server suggested the tres leches cake. I'm not normally a fan of tres leches as sometimes the textures just don't agree with me, but we were assured that this tres leches cake would live up to the hype.

Earlier this year I had hands down the best panna cotta of my life, and now I can also say that this year I've tried my favorite tres leches cake ever. What Chef David Dickensauge and his team really nailed is the texture. Instead of being a soggy mess, the moist cake held up to the milk and the flavors hit all the right notes.

Hopefully I'll get a chance to get back to Corks & Cleaver at some point. I'm also really excited about Chef David's new seafood restaurant, Brackish. Check it out if you're ever on the Mississippi Gulf Coast!

Araña: The Only Spider I Welcome

by Blair "B-Rex" Loup

Generally speaking, New Orleans is a fantastic destination for food. This is not news. There’s so much for your palate to experience, yet so little time.

In the same streets you taste dishes that are new, inventive, and inspiring, you can experience meals that are so old they practically birthed the crescent city. In a place that is so uniquely Louisiana, some of the meals I’ve enjoyed most recently in New Orleans are based around lime, cotiga cheese, and cilantro.

Araña is everything I want in a Mexican restaurant. Their presentation is beautiful, the flavors are on fleek, and it’s simply built for a good time.

When I dine out, I consider three criteria: atmosphere, drinks, and apps & ‘sserts (because you can’t have one without the other).

If a restaurant pulls off all of these elements successfully, they can have my money.

Atmosphere: check.

I prefer when a restaurant is cozy (not too cramped, but not a cave), the design is well thought out, and the seating allows for natural lighting (because I take pictures of everything I ingest). So many restaurants get things wrong: uncomfortable seating, bad lighting, canned, adult-contemporary music playing in the background.

But Araña is a place I could sit and sip for hours.

Drinks: check.

I tried three drinks that were on totally different levels.

First, the Jalapeño Pineapple Cilantro Margarita: the depth of flavor gave me life. The grilled pineapple has a sultry sweetness from caramelizing on the grill, the fresh jalapeño adds just enough back heat, and I live my life thinking that cilantro improves most things. We’ll call this one a win.

The Jalapeño Pineapple Cilantro Margarita

Next up, the Romera Fresca. This puppy is packed with savory, tart confusion in a great way. Juniper-infused tequila hit with a zing of small batch tonic and finished off with a house-made rosemary syrup can grace my glass any day. Another point to Gryffindor. 

The Romera Fresca: Juniper-Infused Tequila,  Small Batch Tonic, and House Made Rosemary Syrup

I’m not into things that are super sweet, so dessert drinks aren’t my jam. I thought it couldn’t be done, but Araña said, “Here’s our frozen, drunken Horchata. Enjoy.”

Enjoy, I did, and to that I say winner winner, chicken dinner. 

Drunken Horchata

Bite and Booze Bonus: If you’re into tequila, Araña has something for you. Joining the Araña Tequilla Society is free. With each tequila you taste, you take another (somewhat more inebriated) step towards rewards ranging from t-shirts to free tequila flights to a free bottle of expensive tequila. Worried about keeping up with your passport? Don’t be—Araña holds on to it for you. They’ve thought of everything!

Apps, shareables, and ‘sserts: Check. 

Apps and ‘sserts is Blair-speak for appetizers and dessert. If I’m meeting up with my friends, I’m all about grabbing apps and ‘sserts. While there are some stellar sandwiches and entrées, if you share more, you taste more. It’s science.

Here’s the lineup:

Atop a velvety bed of milky oaxaca cheese lies a spicy blanket of house-made chorizo just waiting to be spread on warm corn tortillas and drizzled with a magically bold red sauce. Don’t think, just order it. 

Queso Fundido: House-Made Chorizo, Grilled Oaxaca Cheese, and Corn Tortillas

Tacos are the most delicious way to get your fix without feeling too full, and Araña has some great options. I’m a sucker for tacos Al Pastor: I'm into the savory and sweet juicy pork and succulent pineapple chunks.

Tacos Al Pastor: Shaved Pork, Grilled Pineapple, Cilantro, and Onion

I’m pretty sure “Your Body is a Wonderland” by John Mayer was written about the Torta Ahogana.

Slow roasted pork on bolillo bread, black bean purée, avocado, crema, cotiga cheese, and cumin pickled onion come together under a waterfall of spicy chili dipping salsa and make for a mountain of flavor.

Mind you, this is literally a quarter of the sandwich that’s on the menu so it’s certifiably shareable. 

Torta Ahogada: Slow Roasted Pork on Bolillo Bread, Black Bean Purée, Avocado, Crema, Cotiga Cheese, Cumin Pickled Onion, Spicy Chili Dipping Salsa

The art of the classic fajita has been lost, and Araña has found it in the form of their Poc Chuc.

Smoked pork loin, escabecbe (pickled veggies), crisp red cabbage, and a pork-fried onion poblano sauce were meant to live inside of that corn tortilla, y’all. Pair that with a flight of tequila and I’m in.

Poc Chuc: Smoked Pork Loin, Escabeche, Red Cabbage, Pork Fried Onion Poblano Sauce, and Corn Tortilla

Bite and Booze Bonus: Araña also has brunch (word on the street is that it’s killer). 

Desserts are tricky with me. I can't get more than a bite or two in to a super sweet dessert, but I could get after this Trés Leches cake with fresh berries all day. A little sweet, a little creamy, and totally traditional, it’s definitely worth the caloric sacrifice.

Trés Leches Cake

I know there's a mess of restaurants to try out in New Orleans, but Araña has something special going on that's worth your money.

Lucy B Goode: A Farm-to-Table Gem in Gulf Shores

The list of local farms they source their ingredients from.

Let me start by saying, "Wow." We rolled up to Lucy B Goode, which rests by the harbor, surrounded by the spectacle that is LuLu's, to an extremely embarrassing though fun-spirited surprise. Personalized menus gave Blair and Aimee some gut-bursting laughter while our rock star waiter articulated the mission of this farm to table restaurant. I guess sometimes when a restaurant knows who they are inviting over for a media dinner, they feel like going the extra mile. From the moment we walked in the door until we were almost the last people to leave, Lucy B Goode provided a dining (complete with custom cocktails) experience I would love to have again.










Chef Randall Baldwin welcomed us by sending out an off menu starter. Aimee doesn't go for tuna (still don't understand why), so that meant more for Blair and myself! The juicy grapefruit slices and sesame chili oil took the fresh tuna to an entirely different level. Seasoned with superb salt and pepper, this dish delivered a light and refreshing combination of bold and natural flavors.

Fresh Gulf Tuna, Grapefruit Slices, and Celery Leaves in a Sesame Chili Oil

Next came a dynamite pimento cheese dish which will make you wonder how anybody could possibly live outside the south. Pimento cheese is a simple concept, but when done right it can be irresistible. And as much as I don't like pickles, these house-pickled local cucumbers were pretty delicious as well. Merging the flavors together, the subtle savoriness of the pimento cheese combines with the sweet and slightly spicy pickles to create an appetizer that could be served as a game-day snack or on the finest of dining menus.

Pa-menna Cheese: House Made Pimento Cheese served with Rosemary Flatbread, Roasted Pecans, and LuLu's Sweet and Sassy Icebox Pickles

As we moved on to entrees we felt it necessary to try different dishes so that we could also sample them. While known for their fresh fish, I couldn't help but notice the braised ribs on the menu. I thought it would be an interesting twist on the Gulf Seafood weekend. The ribs are incredibly tender while boasting an Asian barbecue flare. The jicama slaw on top adds a pleasant crunch and the cheese grits on the bottom catch all of the juicy goodness coming off of the ribs... a little bonus at the bottom of the bowl!

Braised Sticky Sweet Pork Ribs topped with Homemade Jicama Slaw served over Cheese Grits

The two fish dishes we tried were the fresh catches of the day prepared two different ways. Both of the preparation options were quite rustic in a way that let the fresh Gulf fish be the star. We enjoyed red snapper with roasted potatoes and green beans as well as wahoo with a lovely summer succotash. Both dishes were absolutely on-point with their execution of the fish and pairing of the hearty sides.

Fresh Gulf Red Snapper served with Red Potatoes, Sautéed Green Beans, Grilled Lemon, and Brown Butter Vinaigrette

Fresh Gulf Wahoo served over a Summer Succotash with Sweet Corn, Field Peas, Cherry Tomatoes, Bacon Lardons, and Fresh Herbs

No meal is complete without curing the sweet tooth at the end. We tried a couple devilishly delicious desserts, but I almost have to say the star of the sweets were the local blueberries. They really lightened up decadent chocolate and cream flavors we had in store. One of the local blueberry farmers actually had a table behind us! Lucy B Goode presents a dining option that is unique to Gulf Shores though it is bringing dining back to the basics at the same time. I might have a hard time going back to the beach without stopping in to dine there again.

House Made Fudgesicle dunked in Mascarpone Cream topped with local Berries

Tres Leches Cake topped with local Berries