Dish: Blue Rose Café’s Eggplant Napoleon

The Blue Rose Café’s new Friday special, Eggplant Napoleon, is tied to the long tradition of Italian immigrants who arrived in South Louisiana more than a century ago. “I’m one hundred percent Italian on my mom’s side,” says chef/owner Christina Cox, whose creation features made-to-order deep-fried eggplant slices layered with homemade crab and seafood stuffing. Topped with basil cream sauce and fresh grilled shrimp, it’s old-school decadence delivered by young, enthusiastic hands. Cox is also known for her cakes and desserts. Before launching her eatery, she earned an advanced baking and pasty degree from the Louisiana Culinary Institute. Call it destiny. “I didn’t know the exact details,” she says, “but I knew after I graduated that I was going to open a restaurant.”