A New Orleans dinner party menu for your rental, course by course

New Orleans is one of the few cities where a dinner party at the house can hold its own against the restaurants, provided the menu leans into the place. This is the New Orleans dinner party menu we would cook at a rental in the Garden District or the Marigny, drawn from our Signature Season 3 menu.

To start: Gulf seafood

Begin with something from the Gulf while guests are still gathered around the kitchen: chilled shrimp, crab bites or a light crudo, with a cocktail or a glass of something cold.

The salad

Keep the salad bright to balance what follows: bitter greens, citrus, toasted pecans and a sharp vinaigrette.

The mains

Offer guests a choice:

• Blackened redfish Acadiana, with a spice crust and a buttery finish
• Pecan-crusted speckled trout, crisp and nutty
• Buttermilk fried quail and waffles, the dish everyone photographs

On the side, serve stone-ground gouda grits and greens.

Dessert: Bananas Foster

New Orleans gave the world Bananas Foster, so it belongs on this table. We serve it as a Bananas Foster soufflé, or you can keep it classic with bourbon pecan bread pudding.

Timing tips for New Orleans

• Older houses often have small kitchens and tight street parking, so share what you know ahead of time.
• Sit down by 7:30 if you want to be on Frenchmen Street for the late sets.
• Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest weekends book early.

Dinners start at $57 a person plus food. See our New Orleans page, our private chef dinners or the full menus.