Hook: Best Seafood on the Miss. Gulf Coast

Bacon -Wrapped Shrimp

I had been anticipating my visit to Hook Gulf Coast Cuisine in Pass Christian, Miss., for months, and I ended up loving the food even more than I thought I would! During my recent trip to the Mississippi Gulf Coast, my family and I had the pleasure of enjoying the atmosphere and culinary inspirations of Chef Corry Hudson and his team at Hook.

I love the light, airy, Cape Cod-type feel of the restaurant. It is small and clean, with a separate dining room for groups. It was difficult to choose our appetizers, entrees, and desserts - everything looked good! One of our favorite appetizers was the Southern Style BBQ Shrimp. It featured such a light, spicy sauce, without an overpowering barbecue flavor. The Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp was surprisingly light, crispy and flavorful. The gumbo was very full-flavored, but had slightly too much pepper.

Parmesan Chicken

I ordered one of the most popular entrees at Hook: the Tripletail Escabeche and Mashed Potatoes. The Escabeche is a light but full-flavored Mediterranean sauce that pairs perfectly with the fish. I loved the fish on its own, though: it was cooked perfectly and is such a light, non-fishy choice. The mashed potatoes are to die for! We also tried the Crab Stuffed Shrimp, which is topped with a sweet lemon butter sauce. It was also perfect. The breading on the Seafood Platter - which features Mangrove snapper, oysters, crawfish, and shrimp - was so light and the seafood was cooked just right.

For those who are not seafood lovers like myself, I would also highly recommend Hook's Parmesan Crusted Chicken served over pasta and topped with a Citrus Beurre Blanc, as well as the 12-ounce Ribeye and Chicken Roulade. Hook's desserts are made fresh in-house and every one is unique and delectable. On this night, we sampled the Bread Pudding, the Chocolate Icebox Pie, and the Carrot Cake. The bread pudding was so ooey-gooey and flavorful. The Chocolate Icebox pie, made with dark chocolate, was rich but still very light. And the Carrot Cake is one of my favorites. Unlike other carrot cakes I have had, I could taste the carrots, raisins and pecans in the cake, and it was still very light.

I would highly recommend Hook Gulf Coast Cuisine on your next trip to the Coast! If you have tried Hook, let me know your favorite dishes in the Comments section below.

Where: 133 Davis Ave., Unit M, Pass Christian, Miss.