SOUTH MS CUISINE | carriere’s joyce & darnell’s

W HEN THE STOMACH IS FULL ,

THE HEART IS CONTENT …
Old Spanish Proverb

O TEXT AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY LOUIE GALIANO

One doesn’t usually come to the Picayune area

for a dinner of escargot and maple leaf duck
with mango wild rice, or maybe salmon cooked
on cedar with a side of crab Oscar. Well, not
unless you’re headed for Joyce and Darnell’s
Casual Dining, which has some of the finest food
to be found in the Southland.
Hidden away in the pines of Carriere, Joyce
and Darnell’s is easy enough to find. One drives
east from Picayune on Mississippi 43 North, or
Sycamore Road as it is known thereabouts, pass-
es a large estate where actual giraffes, zebras,
and camels roam the yard, goes about a half mile
and finds a small white sign on the left directing
them to the restaurant about a mile down. Again
on the left, you will find a white rail fence adja-
cent to a neat looking home. Enter and partake of
palatal delights designed to make your taste
buds stand up and sing.
Joyce and Darnell Smith’s restaurant has been
in business for about two years and judging from
its growing reputation and ever expanding circle
of clientele, it’s going to be around for a lot
more. So how did fine dining come to Carriere,
Mississippi?
“Well,” says son Chef Kai Smith, “it was all

42 a cc e n t s o u t h m i s s i s s i p p i
sort of experimental, based on a premise
that the locals would respond positively to
a higher culinary level.”
And positive it has been.
Joyce and Darnell’s is a family affair.
While Kai the chef is constantly varying and
improving his menu, daughter Moné is a
specialist in pastries, both having been
schooled at the Culinary Institute of
America in New York. Another daughter,
Shaneka, is the merchandising and coordi-
nation expert.
“She can make a small event seem like a
gala celebration,” Darnell says.
The Smith family is constantly innovating
from growing their own herbs to furnishing
live entertainment to crafting custom meals
for diners with specific eating needs. Some
of the recent kitchen creations include their
Joyce & Darnell’s
own sauces, vinegars, and steak rubs which
Joyce says that future strategy calls for mar-
keting. Other plans include catering to busi-
ness meetings, conferences, and private par-
ties where Joyce and Darnell’s can set up a
full course meal complete with white linen
tablecloths. Another eatery in Slidell, La., is
also in the works.
The restaurant is also part of the commu-
nity. It has an agreement with Picayune
High School to employ and train students in
cooking and serving, teaching work ethics,
and public contact. Joyce and Darnell’s is
also a member of Picayune Main Street, a
highly active organization dedicated to
improving the city’s appearance and busi-
ness climate. • Open 5-10 p.m. Thursday through
Saturday and 11 a.m.-3 p.m. for
So what is the largest satisfaction other
Sunday brunch
that serving up a filet mignon with a rice
pilaf? Joyce and Darnell agree. It is the • Directions - Joyce & Darnell’s Casual
wonderful circumstance of being able to Dining is located at 137 George Wells
Rd., Carriere
work with one’s whole family who meet
after hours in order to discuss the day’s • Call (601) 798-4734 or visit
events and the surprises of tomorrow. www.greenroofinnjd.com
“What we want to do,” says Darnell, “is
to bring something exciting to people’s
table.”

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