Seraphine in Durham – nctriangledining.comOne of the cuisines that I feel often gets forgotten a bit in the Triangle is also one of my favorites: Cajun and Creole by way of Louisiana! Usually flavor-packed and heavy on the calories and butter, I’ve always been a big fan after a couple of visits to New Orleans and it’s often something I cook at home. So when I heard that Seraphine was opening at the American Tobacco Campus, I was pretty excited. Brought to you by the Weddington brothers who are involved with NanaSteak, Seraphine opened up in late 2023 and I’ve had a chance to stop by for dinner twice. Here’s what to expect when you visit!
Seraphine, Durham – Location, Decor
Classic bar at Seraphine, Durham – nctriangledining.comOne challenge I have with the American Tobacco Campus is where exactly you need to go in the ATC to find a restaurant! But Seraphine’s location is pretty easy, it sits at the far end of ATC by the ballpark and behind Parker and Otis. Officially, this location used to be the back half of the old Tyler’s Taproom but you’d have to be familiar with the area for years to understand that reference! As you approach the restaurant, you’ll immediately see the outside patio area under some twinkling lights and lit up with heaters for the winter.
Dining room at Seraphine, Durham – nctriangledining.comRight inside you’ll find the hostess stand and a large, bar to your right which fits in with the classic design of other New Orleans-type bars I’ve visited! Marble top, blown glass lamps overhead, it all feels a bit throwback and classic but updated a bit for the 2020’s. The dining room is a bit more of a challenge at Seraphine. I believe this space was an older warehouse so large wood columns (load-bearing?) intersect the dining room making for a slightly obstructed view throughout. But it’s a comfortable interior, full of dark woods, turquoise paint, and line-art designs.
Seraphine, Durham – Menu, Food
Cocktail time at Seraphine, Durham – nctriangledining.comBeyond the decor, Seraphine serves up a Louisiana-style menu which I’d qualify as Cajun-Creole along with some classic Southern offerings. Start up with a Vieux Carre, a classic New Orleans cocktail composed of rye, cognac, sweet vermouth, and bitters. Similar to a Manhattan, it’s served up in a frosted coupe glass and is remarkably delicious! Scanning Seraphine’s menu you’ll find that the appetizers are in the $8 to $15 range with entrees in the low $20s which means it’s very reasonably priced here, especially for its location.
Menu and prices at Seraphine, Durham – nctriangledining.comYou’ll find raw and broiled oysters, boiled peanuts, fried oysters, barbeque shrimp and fried catfish on the menu, yum! I’ve done grilled/broiled oysters in New Orleans, Seraphine offers them in a roasting tray and serves them up Dragos-style (white wine, butter, garlic) which gives you an overflow sauce area which you can use for sopping your bread with! The barbeque shrimp is another classic dish, head-on prawns in a deep, dark flavorful sauce with a bit of tang. Served up with the soft Leidenheimer bread (imported from LA), it’s delicious. Or go more basic with their plump peel and eat shrimp!
Roasted oysters (Drago’s Style) at Seraphine, Durham – nctriangledining.com
Barbeque shrimp at Seraphine, Durham – nctriangledining.com
Peel and eat shrimp at Seraphine, Durham – nctriangledining.comThe fried oysters at Seraphine are another nice choice! Plump bivalves with a thick, lumpy coating and served with flavorful remoulade sauce. You really can’t go wrong here as a starter.
Fried oysters at Seraphine, Durham – nctriangledining.comFor mains at Seraphine, I’ve tried two traditional dishes. First up, the fried catfish over red beans which is classic! Two nicely fried pieces of firm whitefish over savory, soft red beans, tasso ham, and rice makes for a perfect forkful. And don’t miss the gnocchi with tasso cream sauce and wilted greens. It’s a customer favorite and those pillowy gnocchi pair well with the rich, caloric sauce.
Catfish over red beans and rice at Seraphine, Durham – nctriangledining.com
Gnocchi with tasso cream sauce at Seraphine, Durham – nctriangledining.com
Key lime pie at Seraphine, Durham – nctriangledining.com
Powdered beignet at Seraphine, Durham – nctriangledining.comAnd finally dessert, here’s where Seraphine could use a bit of help. The key lime pie with graham cracker crust and dollop of soft cream works well but the beignet were a bit bland and chewy. Given its classic sweets status in New Orleans, they should tweak this recipe a bit to make it a go to option for dessert.
Seraphine, Durham – Service, Conclusion
Dining area at Seraphine, Durham – nctriangledining.comGiven the experience of Seraphine’s owners with the upscale NanaSteak, service here is top-notch. The staff is well-versed in their dishes and the ingredients, dishes are coursed out nicely and plates cleared in a timely fashion. Overall for the price, it’s a great dining experience with excellent food so kudos there. You definitely feel like you’re getting your money’s worth when you dine here!
And while I’ll certainly be back to Seraphine again, there really isn’t a lot of competition for this type of food in the Triangle so I hope they expand and tweak the menu in 2024. Because Cajun-Creole is some of my favorite cuisine and it deserves to be handled with some love and care. So here’s to more and better with Seraphine, they are off to a great start at the American Tobacco Campus in Durham!
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