Patio 44 aims to bring fine casual dining, drinks to Biloxi
By Mary Perez on Feb 17, 2016 04:09 PM, Updated Fed 17, 2016 07:24 PM
(For the original article: Click here
BILOXI -- Ron Savell has had great success with Mugshots, his restaurant in West Biloxi, and now is preparing a more-upscale Patio 44 restaurant on Main Street. "My partner in this location, Mack Grubbs, and I are so excited to bring Patio 44 to downtown Biloxi," Savell said. This will be the second location for the concept restaurant. The first, which opened in Hattiesburg in 2013, is known for its steaks, seafood and handcrafted drinks.
The proximity of MGM Park was a key reason for choosing the Main Street site, just north of McDonald's. The 11,000-square-foot restaurant will have a courtyard and patio, and more seating than the one in Hattiesburg, he said. It also will be open daily for lunch and dinner, and feature Sunday brunch.
At the Patio 44 in Hattiesburg, an executive chef uses fresh ingredients, a wine list features more than 100 bottles from around the world and a master mixologist handcrafts cocktails. "Casual dining at its finest" is how Savell describes the Patio 44 experience. The menu features prime cuts of beef at a reasonable price, he said, and though the food and decor will be more upscale, there won't be a dress code so those who arrive in a suit or in shorts will be comfortable. Fresh seafood will be prominent on the menu, with blue crab fondue as an appetizer, blackened shrimp tacos and crab cake burgers for lunch and blackened redfish on the half shell on the dinner menu. Other choices are chicken-fried duck strips and fried green tomatoes with an optional crawfish étouffée as appetizers, along with gumbo, salads and po-boys. To pair with the 38-ounce prime rib-eye steak and other entrees are classic cocktails such as Manhattans and mint Juleps, along with pomegranate kisses and other new cocktails, wine and a large selection of craft beers. Savell said he hopes to break ground in March and open Patio 44 in Biloxi by fall.
Two more Mugshots also are coming to South Mississippi. The restaurant under construction in Gulfport will open in March, he said, and Savell said another Mugshots is planned at The Promenade in D'Iberville, with ground-breaking planned for the spring.