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These were not your average fried green tomatoes.

Each well-seasoned, deep-fried disc was topped with a single, tender, boiled shrimp and a drizzle of creamy dressing. They were situated on a bed of fresh baby spinach and joined by a neat pile of jumbo lump crabmeat in tangy remoulade. Another pile featuring a relish of red onion and tasso sat nearby. Four of us passed around the sleek, rectangular plate, noting how each flavor took our palates in different, but complementary, directions ($10).

That kind of medley-in-the-mouth eating is what defines Varnedoe’s Carriage House, the main eatery at St. Francisville’s Myrtles Plantation. By the time we got through sampling four appetizers, four entrees, and three desserts it was clear: Somebody in the kitchen was having fun in a mad scientist sort of way. It’s not often you see dishes with this many ingredients or steps.

Chef Scott Varnedoe, formerly of New Orleans’ award-winning Marigny Brasserie, opened Varnedoe’s Carriage House a few months after Hurricane Katrina. While in the Crescent City, Varnedoe earned awards and acclaim for his take on the southern culinary canon. In short, he transforms familiar standards into brassy, assertive versions, the descriptions of which read like a foodie shopping list.

For example, another appetizer we sampled, the fried Cajun Asian duck egg rolls, are stuffed with a blend of ground duck and andouille with tiny bits of collard greens, cabbage, carrots and onions. They’re presented in vertical chunks with pungent soy reduction, wasabi aioli, and ginger, orange and green onion mustard jelly. It was an enjoyable dish, although hard to distinguish all those nuances ($8).

The roasted duck Acadian is cooked with Steen's cane syrup and cinnamon, and served with praline sweet potatoes, stewed collards, orange and cane syrup demi-glace, peach jam, and fried sweet potatoes.

We rounded out our appetizers with the simpler frog legs, good-sized ones fried and tossed in local pecan and garlic lime butter and topped with red onion tasso jam. I found the accompaniments nice and soulful against the mild, toothy meat ($8). The plump and juicy crab cakes were southwest-inspired, and featured a backdrop of cumin and chili powder and slivers of fried tortilla ($11). Our crew was divided: Some of us enjoyed the punchy flavors; others found them a distraction against the delicate crab.

We were seated in the main dining area, the liveliest of the restaurant’s three quadrants, which also include an adjacent second dining room and an indoor patio and bar. While the menu features entrees that range from $17 to $33, the vibe is laid back, and the dress, mainly casual.

Among entrees, we found the “double down” pork chop rich and flavorful ($20). The double-cut chop is smoked and grilled, then topped with cider demi-glace, apple preserves and fried apple rings. It’s accompanied by some fabulous roasted corn grits and stewed collards good enough to convert even the most greens-shy.

We also liked the roasted duck Acadian, in which duck confit and duck breast are glazed in a combination of Steen’s cane syrup and cinnamon, then roasted and served with a serious collection of items: praline sweet potatoes, stewed collards, orange and cane syrup demi-glace, peach jam, and fried sweet potatoes ($25). The sweet flavors—and they are sweet—worked well with the magnificently tender roast duck.

Less appealing was the Asian Cajun tuna, which went off in too many directions ($21). The six-ounce, medium rare tuna steak was silky in texture and punchy from an assertive house-made Asian spice rub. But it clashed with the smoky, dense crawfish risotto “stir fry” on which it was perched. And on top, the cucumber salad’s pickled sweetness kept bumping up against the saltiness I found elsewhere on the plate.

Similarly, the filet was velvety and perfectly cooked, but it was served atop a pile of stewed shredded beef that was both odd and unnecessary ($33).

Medley-in-the-mouth eating is what defines Varnadoe's Carriage House, the main eatery at St. Francisville's Myrtles Plantation.

Among desserts, the Mexican caramel flan was a heavy version we found dry and overly sweet ($5). A better choice was the airy, creamy white and dark chocolate mousse with a thin layer of berry coulis ($6). And the winning white chocolate bread pudding was loose and chunky, served with a dollop of cream and fresh berries. I liked its homey simplicity and gentle texture ($5).

The service was efficient and straightforward. If you’re planning to order wine, and there are several nice options, it’s best to get some reliable advice, even if you have to consult the chef or bartender, since the flavors on the plate are so varied.

Varnedoe’s menu is big and bold, there is a lot to try, and the enthusiasm for culinary alchemy is appealing, even if occasionally, it misses. It’s also a pretty little road trip.