– The hype is worth it.
If you’ve been wondering just how good Emeril’s Gulf Coast Fish House is, that’s it in a nutshell. Bam, there you are.

I sat front and center at the Chef’s Food Bar at 5:30 last Friday evening - opening night - with a healthy appetite, having eaten lettuce for two days in anticipation. Read more »

GULFPORT, Miss. - Chef Emeril Lagasse on Friday opened Emeril’s Gulf Coast Fish House at the Island View Casino Resort, his first new restaurant since 2003.”I hope that this restaurant is a small step toward the recovery of this region and brings new attention to its unique food culture, abundant fresh seafood, game and produce,” Lagasse said. Read more »

Highlights Gulf Coast’s Rebirth and Lagasse’s Long-Term Commitment to the Region

Gulfport, MS (Thursday, June 21, 2007) - Tomorrow world-renowned Chef Emeril Lagasse will open his newest restaurant, Emeril’s Gulf Coast Fish House, at the Island View Casino Resort in Gulfport, Mississippi. Friday’s dinner service marks the debut of Lagasse’s “Coastal Creole” cuisine, as Chef de Cuisine Steve D’Angelo, General Manager Jason Lonigro and their staff of 90 infuse New Orleans flavor with Mississippi’s fresh seafood and unmatched Southern charm. The restaurant is open seven days, with dinner service from 5:30pm – 10:00pm Sunday-Thursday, and until 11:00pm on Friday and Saturday. (Lunch will be served in the near future). Reservations may be made by calling the restaurant, 228-314-1515. Read more »

Coastal gem in an Island View setting

GULFPORT –Emeril Lagasse is as kicked up about his tenth restaurant as he was about his first, and as he gave the Sun Herald a sneak peek of the new Emeril’s Gulf Coast Fish House on Tuesday he revealed he’d just bought the space he’s leased for 17 years for his first restaurant, Emeril’s in New Orleans.”This is pretty exciting,” he said as dozens of chefs and waitstaff cooked and set tables. Emeril cookbooks and T-shirts were shelved and casino guests poked their heads around the black curtains for a look at Emeril’s Gulfport creation. Read more »

Tournament of Roses will “kick it up a notch” in 2008 with a Grand Marshal known for good food, good times and good funPASADENA, CA. (June 8, 2007) – The Tournament of Roses revealed today that Chef Emeril Lagasse will be the Grand Marshal for the 2008 Tournament of Roses. Themed Passport to the World’s Celebrations, the 2008 Rose Parade will pay tribute to festivities from around the globe.As Grand Marshal, Emeril Lagasse will ride in the 119th Rose Parade in front of a worldwide television audience, and toss the coin before the 94th Rose Bowl Game on January 1, 2008. Read more »

GULFPORT — The slot machines kept ringing at Island View Casino on Monday when Rick Carter and Terry Green opened Phase II of their casino and welcomed chef Emeril Lagasse to the celebration.Gulfport Mayor Brent Warr commented on the sounds of commerce as a background for the second grand opening of the casino in eight months.”Every day we wake up it just keeps getting better and better,” said Warr, who reminded the crowd waiting to get a glimpse of the new casino, “These are Gulfport guys.” Read more »

GULFPORT — Island View Casino kicked it up a notch Monday, opening the second phase of its resort and reminding the crowd there is more to come with an appearance by chef Emeril Lagasse.
“We’ve got something special to show you,” owner Rick Carter said as he unveiled the expansion that nearly triples the size of Gulfport’s only casino.

The addition that opened Monday adds 50,000 square feet of gambling space, and more than 1,000 slots and 32 new table games. The casino has hired an additional 600 workers. Read more »

Celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse says he’s more concerned than ever about Gulf Coast children and hopes the more than $500,000 in grants he’s committing for culinary education and summer camp programs will help to enrich lives tattered since Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.”These kids are the future. They’re the future of New Orleans,” said Lagasse, after announcing the grants at one of his two New Orleans restaurants. Read more »

Total Granted Since January 2006 is Now Over $1 millionNEW ORLEANS, LA (May 9, 2007) – Chef Emeril Lagasse announced today over $500,000 in grants donated by his Foundation toward culinary education and children’s summer programs in the New Orleans area at a reception at Emeril’s Restaurant. With this round of grants, over $1 million has been awarded by the Emeril Lagasse Foundation to New Orleans children’s organizations since January 2006.The programs receiving support will provide New Orleans youth with fun, safe and educational activities during summer break and allow for capital improvement of existing innovative projects. St. Michael Special School, a longtime beneficiary of Chef Emeril Lagasse, will receive funds to renovate its life skills academic lab and kitchen. The Edible Schoolyard at Green Charter School will be able to build an outdoor classroom to serve as the focal point of its edible garden. Read more »

Gulfport, MS (November 20, 2006) — Island View Casino Resort officials announced today that Gulfport’s only casino has signed an agreement with world-renowned chef Emeril Lagasse to open Emeril’s Gulf Coast Fish House at the Island View Casino and Resort in Gulfport.

Lagasse – an internationally recognized restaurateur, television personality and author – joined Island View Casino owner Rick Carter at a press conference this afternoon at the casino to unveil renderings of the 9,000 square-foot, 200-seat restaurant.

The restaurant, which will serve lunch and dinner, was designed by Friedmutter Group of Las Vegas and will be a sister restaurant to the award-winning Emeril’s New Orleans Fish House in Las Vegas. It is expected to open at Island View Casino Resort in summer 2007.

“When we opened Island View we made a commitment to the Gulf Coast community to operate a casino resort of the highest quality. By introducing an Emeril Lagasse-signature restaurant we know we are creating a resort that fulfills that promise, Emeril’s New Orleans Fish House is a brand known for its standard of excellence created by a chef of unparalleled passion and talent and we are pleased to create this association with him,” says Rick Carter.

“I am very happy to partner with Rick and Terry and their team at Island View for this exciting project,” says Emeril Lagasse. “I receive offers everyday to build new restaurants all over the world, but I chose to open a restaurant on the Gulf Coast because it means a lot to me to be a part of the rebuilding of this community. My family and I have very close ties here - my wife Alden grew up in Gulfport and we have spent a lot of time with our family and friends here, as well as our involvement with the Lynn Meadows Discovery Center.”

Today, Lagasse also announced a grant of $25,000 to be awarded to the Lynn Meadows Discovery Center by the Emeril Lagasse Foundation. The grant will go towards performing arts outreach and educational programming
.

About Island View Casino Resort
Island View Casino Resort opened on Sept. 18 as the only casino in Gulfport, Miss. The land-based casino, located on 40 acres of waterfront property, currently offers a 30,000-square-foot casino with 15 table games and 1,033 slots. Island View has 562 hotel rooms and a 350-seat buffet. Upon final build out, which is expected to be in the spring of 2007, Island View will feature a 520,000-square-foot-resort with 80,000-square feet of casino space including 2,400 slots and 50 table games, as well as an Emeril’s New Orleans Fish House, a 24-hour steak house, coffee shop, sand-beach pool and covered parking. Island View Casino Resort is privately held by Rick Carter and Terry Green, two Gulfport natives and longtime casino executives committed to the post-Hurricane Katrina rebuilding efforts of the Mississippi Gulf Coast.