Business Lunch: Carriage House Restaurant at Houmas House serves Creole classics in Darrow

The Carriage House’s elegant but relaxed vibe attracts executives, ladies who lunch and tour groups for a wide-ranging board of fare created by Houmas House’s longtime executive chef, Jeremy Langlois.

Sturdy dishes like lasagna, a boudin-stuffed double pork chop, crab-topped redfish and a wagyu filet anchor the menu, balanced by more casual eats like seafood pasta salad, a 7-ounce burger, and shrimp and oyster po-boys.

But the Carriage House’s steady top seller is the eggplant Napoleon, comprising three fried eggplant medallions layered with jumbo lump crabmeat and saffron cream sauce. It’s served with a side of seasonal vegetables. Langlois says the kitchen goes through a 20-pound case of eggplant every couple of days.

“We sell more of these things than you can imagine,” he says. “I joke that we should have called the restaurant Café Eggplant.”

The Carriage House Restaurant at Houmas House

Address: 40136 La. 942 in Darrow

Phone: (225) 473-9380

Website: houmashouse.com

Cuisine: Creole

Owner: Kevin Kelly

Chef: Jeremy Langlois

Scene: Lunch and dinner; elegant vibe

Pricing: $$