Emeril’s Coastal: Something for every occasion
By Michelle Farnham
June 9, 2023
MIRAMAR BEACH – Anniversaries, business meetings, Girls Nights Out, birthdays, or any day ending in Y, Emeril’s Coastal has a dish or drink for that. Though the dining is elegant, the dress code is casual, and celebrity chef/owner Emeril Lagasse and his staff have something to offer for every occasion.
“We’re all over!” said Coastal’s new Chef de Cuisine Tommy Wachter. “If you want to come in and have a drink at the bar with a snack, or if you want to do a real special occasion, we can do that, too. I think that’s something that makes us pretty unique.”
From a burger to brunch to world-renowned Japanese A5 beef, Lagasse has always prided himself on featuring the freshest ingredients, and changes up the menus seasonally to ensure that gold standard is maintained. That often includes freshly caught seafood from the Gulf.
He’s even branched out into the world of caviar.
“We’re super excited to partner with Paramount Caviar for my own caviar collection that we are serving in my restaurants,” Lagasse explained. “Emeril’s Coastal is the only place in Florida that it is available.”
Wachter, who started his career with the Emeril’s culinary team in 2007, and Sous Chef Dawn Sabbath collaborate to come up with tasting menus and specials for their Blackboard Fish – two or three different kinds of fresh fish available grilled, cast ironed or fried.
Lagasse said he has been impressed with his new chef de cuisine, who started in the role back in July.
“Chef Tommy is doing great things at Coastal,” Lagasse said. “I really enjoy working closely with him in this role and his creativity and the spin that he puts on some of my classic dishes is impressive. Our Sous Chef Dawn is super creative and her and Tommy together are bringing magic to the party!”
The new chef also introduced a yellowfin tuna poke bowl to the menu.
“It’s a really good seller: sushi rice, spicy mayo – and we only use the freshest Gulf tuna that we can get,” Wachter said, also pointing out the new crispy duck wings. “You don’t see duck wings around here a lot. Whenever people try them, they’re blown away, it’s so tender. They’re a little spicy, a little sticky, a good bar snack.”
Of course you’ll still find old Coastal favorites on the menu, including the Fettuccine Nero, pineapple upside-down cornbread, and his legendary olive oil cake with salted caramel and mascarpone.
If your time at Coastal happens to be on a weekend, Lagasse is very proud of their Sunday Jazz Brunch.
“It’s a whole vibe in itself,” he said. “We have a lot of locals that come every Sunday to celebrate with us. It’s always a fun time and of course the food and cocktails can’t be beat.”
He recommended the Bob Doyle’s Crab Cake Benedict – served alongside poached eggs, shoestring potatoes and hollandaise – or the chilaquiles off that special menu. The latter incorporates tortilla chips, chorizo salsa, and pickled shishito peppers with queso fresco.
Speaking of those cocktails, in-house Sommelier Doruk Gurunlu and team have kept the bar program evolving with industry trends and tastes.
“The beverage program at Emeril’s Coastal is incredible,” Lagasse admitted. “The Kait Special is an ever-changing feature of our cocktail menu by Kait, our lead mixologist, who is always creating delicious cocktails with the freshest ingredients. The wine program is also unbelievable.”
How unbelievable? While there are several approachable bottles on the wine list, those celebrating extra special occasions might select the $850-a-bottle Vincent Girardin Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru or the $395 bottle of Dun Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 2016!
Emeril’s Coastal is located at 435 Grand Boulevard in Miramar Beach. To reserve a table, visit www.emerilsrestaurants.com/emerils-coastal or call 850-608-7040.
