Vrazel’s is a most-missed restaurant on the MS Coast. Here are the chef’s sacred recipes.
In 1986, a Mississippi Coast native and graduate of the renowned Culinary Institute of America in New York came back home to open his namesake restaurant on Highway 90 in Gulfport.
Bill Vrazel, of Gulfport, wanted to create a menu that was different — he wanted to blend his Mississippi Coast upbringing with his Italian family heritage and his classically trained skill set.
The birth of Vrazel’s Fine Dining is one that will forever be cemented in the history of Gulfport and South Mississippi. The delectable dishes and fanciful ambiance are remembered today, years after the beachfront eatery closed forever.
The menu at Vrazel’s
Vrazel’s featured traditional French and Italian dishes, many of which were mixed with local Creole and Cajun additions, such as Shrimp Bordelaise, or gulf shrimp sautéed in a garlic butter sauce over a plate of spaghetti. Many of these dishes were also given a personal touch as he named them after some of his grandchildren and other relatives.
Entering Vrazel’s, patrons were greeted by the warm glow of fanciful chandeliers with dimmed lights and elegant white tablecloths which provided one of the most up-class dining experiences in the area.
This ambiance was enhanced by Bill Vrazel’s high expectations for his employees and for the quality of food. He ensured that every single dish received his approval before being served to his patrons. This was especially true for his most beloved dish, Eggplant La Rosa, which featured a blend of eggplant, gulf shrimp, crab-meat, and cheese that was baked in a casserole dish.
Bill Vrazel’s scrutinous process and the delicious entrées proved highly successful, as over the course of its existence, the restaurant attracted thousands of locals, tourists, and even celebrities. President George W. Bush even chose to dine there during one of his post-Katrina visits to the Mississippi Coast.
The restaurant operated daily except for Sundays, as Bill Vrazel wished to provide his employees with time to attend church services.
In 2005, Hurricane Katrina leveled Vrazel’s and reduced it to rubble. Nevertheless, the restaurant was rebuilt one brick at a time and reopened soon after just across the street from Island View Casino, much to the delight of the Gulfport community.
With Island View Casino housing a restaurant owned by celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse, Vrazel’s faced stiff competition daily after Katrina. However, the allure of Vrazel’s unique fusion of local and foreign flavors in an upscale, yet relaxed, atmosphere drew casino patrons from across the street on a regular basis. This allowed the locally-owned business to compete with one of the largest restaurateurs in the nation.
Sadly, in December 2012, after more than a quarter-century of culinary excellence, Vrazel’s Fine Dining closed its doors. Bill Vrazel made the tough decision to close his beloved restaurant to pursue new avenues in life.
Even over a decade after Vrazel’s closed down, locals still reminisce about its exquisite cuisine and its unique blend of flavors, culture, and formality. In light of this, Bill Vrazel recently released some of his recipes for the public, including one for the Shrimp and Artichoke Teresa, featuring Gulf shrimp dipped in garlic butter and served over a baked casserole of artichoke hearts, baby shrimp and Parmesan cheese.
Recipes for some of the most-missed Vrazel’s recipes
Stuffed Whole Gulf Flounder: Flounder stuffed with shrimp and crab-meat dressing, baked and drenched in lemon butter.
Pasta Sangani: Sun dried tomatoes, asparagus, broccoli, and mushrooms, sautéed in olive oil and garlic, served over linguine.
Stuffed Red Snapper Bay St. Louis: Fresh red snapper filet, stuffed with shrimp and crab-meat, drenched in lemon butter sauce.
Speckled Trout Amandine: Broiled or Fried trout covered in a lemon sauce and topped with sautéed almonds and served with vegetable du jour.
Stuffed Mushrooms with Lump Crabmeat Imperial: Mushroom caps stuffed with jumbo lump crab-meat in imperial sauce, topped with lemon sauce.
Seafood Au Gratin a La Cajun: Gulf shrimp, oysters, crab-meat and herbs blended with a spicy cream sauce, topped with cheese.
Poulet Le Chardonnay: Chicken breast lightly dusted in seasoned flour, pan sautéed and served over roasted garlic and rosemary mashed potatoes with chardonnay sauce.
Filet of Chicken Breast James: Boneless chicken breast stuffed with rice, mushrooms, bacon and shallots, served with lemon sauce.
