Yes, I am an Emeril's restaurant fan. Yes, I wish he'd open one in Chicago. In the meantime, I have to settle for visiting his restaurants when I visit other parts of the country!

One of my favorite Emeril's locations is his NOLA Restaurant (NOLA stands for New Orleans, LA) in the heart of the French Quarter. This unassuming restaurant is located across the street from the Omni Royal Orleans, with lunch hours 11:30am-2pm Mon-Sat, dinner hours after 6pm the rest of the week. It is also more casual than his signature restaurant in town, Delmonico's, but the food is just as great.

I went in for lunch on a sultry Saturday (reservations highly recommended, any day!) - the cool, dark interior was a blissful relief from the sweltering heat outside. Seeing that I was by myself, the hostess asked me if I would care to have a "kitchen seat" - which gave me one of a half-dozen seats at a bar-style counter by the brick oven. (No, the seats were not all that warm! quite comfortable actually.)

Usually if I'm dining alone, I bury my nose in a book, but the chef working the area at the oven was wonderful. Having spent a number of years in the restaurant industry, I loved watching him go about his work: fast, clean, precise, yet with flair. We talked as he worked - had he met Emeril? Yes, once or twice, "just a super guy." Occassionally he would offer up a sliver of something he was making, explaining what it was. It was definitely one of my more fun dining experiences.

I started my own meal with a bowl of their sublime French onion soup. This rich, beefy soup is an excellent choice at any Emeril's - and, French onion soup fan that I am, I can tell you it's one of my favorite bowls of this soup to be had anywhere. From there, I wanted to go on to foods that highlighted local specialties, so next was the cornmeal-crusted oysters with bourbon-mashed sweet potatoes. While I passed on the gravy for the potatoes, I thought this was a wonderful appetizer, and, after having watched the cook make several of these already, went with the cedar-planked Gulf fish with horseradish crust, which was baked in the stone oven and served piping hot before I knew it.

Desserts at Emeril's are always sinful, so there was no way I could pass one up. After a bit of breathing room, their white chocolate Bananas Foster bread pudding was a heavenly ending to the meal (who cared if I felt stuffed afterwards!). If the bananas Foster isn't indulgent enough for you, you can get it topped with what they call "Drunken Monkey" ice cream.

NOLA is usually downplayed on the New Orleans dining scene due to the popularity of Emeril's Delmonico. But if you are looking for a more budget-friendly and palate-luxurious dining experience, NOLA is a great choice.

Dinner was amazing and worth every penny. There were five of us at dinner and there was not a complaint around the table. Two of us ordered the chef's choice menu with the wine selections and wine selections were superb. The wait staff was very attentive without being intrusive.

NOLA is quite the dining experience. I believe this is one of the best of the Emeril empire. It is busy and noisy, however the staff is excellent. Try the barbecue shrimp and andouille sausage appetizer. The duck is amazing, and the desserts are to die for. NOLA is a great pick right in the heart of the French Quarter.

The new friend I met at Crescent City had just come from dinner at the bar at Nola, Emeril Lagasse's French Quarter restaurant. He said that the fried oyster salad was to die for, and that I should try to get in the following night for a taste.

I arrived at Nola - on my own - at around 8:00 PM, and stood behind the crowded bar for a few minutes waiting for an opening. Fortunately, a man dining solo at the bar was just finishing, so I waited next to him. He had the sampler menu - a number of courses for around $40, if I remember correctly - and said that it was better than the food at KPaul's. Before I sat down, I ordered a glass of Emeril's Red Wine ($7), which was quite good. For dinner, I ordered soup and salad, instead of an entrée. First, I had the Turtle Soup, which was quite good. Next, I had the fried oyster salad. Since I like the taste of raw oysters, I wasn't thrilled with the fried oysters, although the breading was delicious. The salad itself, however, was fantastic. My bill (minus the wine) came to $18 - a bargain, in my opinion, for such a wonderful gourmet meal.

Eating at the bar was a nice experience and good for meeting people. To eat at the bar, you do not need a reservation, but you may have to wait a bit for a space to clear. If you have two or more people and want a table, you should reserve in advance.

If you have ever wanted to go to one of Emeril’s restaurants (he’s the tv chef that says BAM!! A lot), then NOLA is a nice place to start. After a couple of days of eating some fairly mediocre food in the French Quarter, we were looking for something a little nicer and NOLA delivered. The atmosphere is very nice (trendy casual, polished and not as folksy as the rest of the Quarter). While you are waiting for your table, you can watch the food being prepared in the open kitchen and stone fire oven or you can have a drink at the bar (which is small but nice). Once seated, your waiter introduces himself and his "assistants"…you are taken care of very well while you dine. For an entrée, I tried the duck (which was very good, very tender after being prepared for three days and very filling given the large serving size). I also had the crab cake (full of crab meat and served in an interesting sauce) and the rock shrimp appetizer pizza (cooked in the brick oven and comprised of some very interesting flavor combinations). Save room for dessert…I highly recommend the bread pudding. But be forewarned, it is a lot of bread pudding and it is so good that you will force yourself to eat it all. I left the restaurant stuffed. All-in-all, it was a very nice dining experience. The $200 bill was a little steep for two people, but if you’ve won money at the casino, why not live a little.

A couple of quick suggestions:

1. Ask for a table upstairs if it is cold outside. It was unseasonably cold when we ate there and you get a draft from the front door. The upstairs has more atmosphere anyway.
2. Listen to the waiter’s recommendations. He was right on for both wine and food choices.
3. Don’t be intimidated by the wine list. It is very long and many of the selections are very expensive. But you can find a really nice bottle for $30-50.