Chef Jeremy Langlois preps for James Beard House dinner

The Beard House will get another taste of Louisiana as Chef Jeremy Langlois brings his “Nouvelle Louisiane” cooking style to the New York destination this February.

Langlois, the chef and general manager of Latil’s Landing, Café Burnside and The Carriage House at Houmas House Plantation in Darrow, La., says cooking at the Beard House is something he’s dreamed of since he was in high school.

“This is so exciting for me,” he says. “It’s an honor to be invited by them. It’s a bucket list item, for sure.”

The James Beard Foundation is a national not-for-profit organization based in New York City. The foundation is most known for its annual awards, considered the Academy Awards for the restaurant industry.

“It’s the biggest foundation in regards to food and the restaurant industry,” Langlois says.

The 34-year-old will prepare a five-course dinner as well as hors d’oeuvres paired with select wines for up to 80 guests on Wednesday, Feb. 19. Among the menu items is a Zapp’s potato chip-crusted grouper with jambalaya grits and smoked tomato coulis and curried pumpkin, crawfish and corn bisque. A full menu and more information on tickets and booking a reservation is listed here.

Langlois says now that the busy holiday season is over at Houmas House, he is starting to meticulously comb over plans for the event.

“You have to take care of all the logistics of the event, pretty much,” he says. “I’m responsible for bringing and supplying the food, alcohol and kitchen staff. The kitchen is also notoriously famous for being small and having a mystique about it.”

Langlois is trying not to build up too much pressure, though, and has talked with other Louisiana chefs who have cooked at the James Beard house, such as Ruffino’s Peter Sclafani and John Folse.

“Peter [Sclafani] cooked there in April last year,” he says. “I chatted with him for a good hour or so. He’s the one who told me about the kitchen. Folse gave me some advice, too. It was good to pick their brains about the experience.”

Tickets for the February dinner are $130 for members and $170 for the general public.

For more information on Langlois, check out his website here.