After nearly three years at Bin 77, executive chef David Dickensauge is expanding his scope and looking to his hometown of Gulfport, Mississippi, to launch a new restaurant concept: Corks & Cleaver Wine Bistro.
As 225 Dine reports, the nomadic chef began his career in New Orleans at Galatoire’s and Commander’s Palace before honing his skills all over the country at Gulfport’s Beau Rivage Resort & Casino and kitchens in Birmingham, Chicago, Miami and New York.
In 2013 he found a new home in Baton Rouge, where his work with Bin 77 has earned him several honors and accolades, including a nomination for this year’s Chefs to Watch list in Louisiana Cookin’ magazine.
It was this honor that brought Dickensauge back to Gulfport for a weekend of celebration, and while out on the beach, the chef noticed a restaurant he’d had his eye on for years and an opportunity to take over its business.
“It’s a pretty gratifying situation,” Dickensauge says. “When you’re young, it’s sort of the small town syndrome where you want to get out … but it’s great to come back to where you started.”
Corks & Cleaver will bring to Gulfport a menu similar to Bin 77, with Dickensauge’s signature New American cuisine and a Cajun flair.
Fans of Bin 77, fear not: Dickensauge will split his time between both restaurants and stay on board as the Perkins Rowe restaurant’s executive chef.
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