A new eatery occupies the wood building that once housed Floyd’s Cajun Kitchen, Mardi Gras Grill and Woodrows Heights on Durham Drive just north of Washington. Its moniker may not pull influence from Louisiana like some of its predecessors, but you’ll still find Cajun flavors on the menu at the newly opened The Durham House.

Executive chef Don Schoenburg (previously at Hilton Americas downtown) has created a sophisticated menu to match the restaurant’s spare Southern-chic redesign. Expect dishes like smoked pig tails, boudin noir, smoked ribeye, coffee-crusted short ribs, charred octopus and seafood pasta. The dinner menu is divided into sections that include small plates, soups, salads, a cold bar and entrees. Land and sea get about equal attention (and separate sub-heads) under the entrees. If you’re up for getting down and dirty (like the menu warns), try your hand(s) at the “true Cajun” gumbo (photo below), featuring ingredients like crawfish, whole jumbo Gulf shrimp (shell on) and whole blue crab (shell on). Ladies donning a fresh manicure or a silk blouse, take note: This is a messy dish.

The Bayou Gumbo. Photo by Jack Thompson

Dinner service has been underway since the restaurant opened in October, and on December 1 the management launched lunch and brunch. Stop in for lunch and you’ll get a sampling of the small plates and entrees found on the dinner menu as well as dishes crafted for the midday diner. Lunch also features a prix-fixe three-course menu for $25 that includes a choice of a soup or salad, entree and dessert.

Photo by Becca Wright

Two starters (or sides) that are available at both lunch and dinner are beer-battered onion rings ($5, photo above) and truffle duck fat fries ($7). Both are served with spicy remoulade. Take it from us, though: Choose one or the other to start your meal because two fried apps will weigh you down. The onion rings, while good dipped in the sauce, could use some seasoning. We recommend going with the fries, which are house-made and tossed with parmesan, parlsey, garlic, duck fat and an infinitesimal amount of black truffle.

Taking our cue from Miley Cyrus, we also ordered the Dirty Hippie ($13) salad – a mini mountain of kale tossed with quinoa, feta, dried cranberries, green apples and toasted walnuts, all slicked down with a honey-lime vinaigrette.

Photo by Becca Wright

A heartier appetite might opt for the duck breast salad ($15, photo above). Golden raisins dot the dish along with grape tomatoes, garlic and pine nuts.  The duck has a nice, smokey crust and was almost beef-like in its texture and taste.

We couldn’t resist ordering the lamb burger, too ($15, photo below). The Texas milk-fed lamb patty is served on a sweet, soft bun with a smear of tzatziki and a topping of pickled red onions and sprouts. Perhaps it was the milk-fed diet or the lack of seasoning or both, but something wasn’t quite right with the lamb burger. It was a very wet combination, and the red onions tasted too much of their red wine pickling liquid.

Photo by Becca Wright

On our way out, we stopped to admire the breezy patio, which has been updated with a fresh coat of white paint. We’ll be back soon to try the newly-launched brunch menu and take advantage of the patio (equipped with large TVs) for a football Sunday with a stroke of sophistication … and a side of jalapeño biscuits and gravy.

The Durham House, 1200 Durham, 713-864-5600, thedurhamhouse.com