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Bin 77 executive chef to open new restaurant in Gulfport


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.

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, and 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.

The patio at Corks & Cleaver. Photo courtesy Samantha McCain
The patio at Corks & Cleaver. Photo courtesy Samantha McCain

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 their 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 a menu similar to Bin 77 to Gulfport, with Dickensauge’s signature New American cuisine and a Cajun flair. Its atmosphere, though, will aim for a more rustic vibe with old wine barrels mounted on walls, whiskey taps for beer taps, a charcuterie station and a New Orleans-style courtyard.

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. Though longtime Bin 77 cook Abel Thompson will take over day-to-day operations in the kitchen, the menu and Dickensauge’s direction won’t be changing anytime soon.

“It’s an opportunity to still be involved with Baton Rouge but to be home at the same time,” Dickensauge says. “It’s another way to broaden my horizons as a chef, being in multiple, different places and touching bunches of customers at one time.”

Cork & Cleaver will open for a sneak peek this Sunday, Oct. 4. Expect a grand opening in November.