Located just a few miles off campus, The Creole is a New Orleans (NOLA) inspired French-meets-Southern restaurant in Old Town Lansing. As charming as its neighborhood, The Creole serves lunch and dinner on the weekdays and a delicious spread of brunch options on the weekends. Having been open for just over two years now, they’ve become known for their classic New Orleans cocktails and traditional southern comfort food including chicken and waffles, gumbo and shrimp and grits.

I’ll be honest, I personally have only been to The Creole for their weekend brunch, and it was absolutely delightful. It was a snowy Saturday morning, it just so happened to also be my 21st birthday, and I could not have asked for a better experience. The ambiance of the Old Town restaurant was incomparable to anything in our area—classy yet cool, old school yet modern, and just all around timeless. Our server treated us like kings… Which is hard to come by when you’re an obvious college student. Everything was reasonably priced, especially for a Sunday brunch.

Two self-proclaimed foodies, Taylor Sterenberg (creative advertising, sophomore) and Amelia Cottrell (marketing, sophomore) are huge fans of restaurants. They had some fabulous things to say about the restaurants, “Whenever we go out to eat, we always split a bunch of dishes rather than ordering for ourselves, that way we can try more than usual. Here we tried the roman cauliflower, roasted brussels sprouts, hearts of palm salad and the salmon entree… It was all absolutely delicious!”

Being the brunch enthusiast that I am, I’ve listed a few of my favorite dishes from the Creole.

Dishes to try

Asparagus Eggs Benedict – You definitely won’t be able to find an eggs benedict as distinct and delicious as The Creole’s asparagus benny. The eggs were perfectly poached and runny to perfection.

Beignets – I’ve always been a fan of these powdered sugar delicacies but have only had them maybe twice in my life? Now I just have to go up the road for them! Also, word on the street is that if you sign up for their email list you get a coupon for a free order of beignets!

Bananas Foster Crepe – Arguably the best dish we had that morning; the crepe had a delicious home-made chantilly cream and was drizzled with a delectable spiced rum sauce. If you’re someone with a major sweet tooth, make sure to try these crepes!

Bloody Mary – Now I’m no Bloody Mary expert, but this seemed to be a crowd favorite at the restaurant. It wasn’t too spicy (though you can order it to be spicy) and had a perfect balance of tomato and garnishing flavor.

Whether you’re looking for an eclectic brunch spot with NOLA flavors or just a place to woo the parents, make The Creole the place!

 

Hannah Bullion is a junior professional writing major with an interest in all things new media. She hopes to flee the Midwest and pursue a career in fashion in New York City. She is also the social media director for MSU’s fashion and lifestyle publication, VIM Magazine, and an intern for the College of Arts & Letters. Keep up with her on Twitter (@hannahmbullion) and Instagram (@hannahbullion).

 

Tags: Brunch, east lansing eats, EATing, restaurant of the month, The Creole