New Orleans, Day 5 - Part 2

Last dinner in New Orleans! I'm sure my waistline isn't going to miss all of these tasty meals, but my eyes and mouth are quite sad.

Tonight, Joel and I had reservations at Nola, one of Emeril Lagasse's three restaurants in New Orleans. The restaurant itself was a lot more casual than I expected, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.

To start, we both ordered soup, though I originally wasn't planning on it. After Joel ordered the gumbo of the day, our server suggested I get the garlic bisque. To share, we ordered the duck confit and fried egg pizza. Since I couldn't decide on my entree (the lady at the table next to me was raving about the redfish), our server suggested the shrimp and grits.

Roasted garlic-reggiano parmesan bisque with basil pesto

DE-LI-CIOUS. I don't think I've ever had a garlic bisque before, but this was amazing. It had a slightly thick consistency and a slighly creamy texture from the cheese. The garlic flavor was strong, but not overpowering, and I'd gladly finish an entire pot full of this. Unfortunately, the picture I took does not do the dish justice at all. Joel's gumbo was also quite good, but in all honesty, I was focused on my garlic bisque.

Duck confit and fried egg pizza with parmesan cheese, truffle oil and baby arugula

I don't see how you can go wrong when you have a fried egg as a topping. If you take a close look at the picture, you'll notice two fried eggs on our pizza. Our server came by to tell us that he asked the kitchen to put an extra egg on ours, as they normally serve the dish with just one. That's extra bonus points on top of the ones he already earned for recommending the garlic bisque. The pizza itself was a bit doughy, which I liked, but be warned if you like your dough on the thinner, crispier side. The dough balances out the saltiness of the duck nicely, the argula adds a nice crunch to the bite, and the runny egg yolk helps tie everything together.

Shrimp and grits - sauteed gulf shrimp, grilled green onions, smoked cheddar grits, apple smoked bacon, crimini mushrooms, creole tomatoe glaze and red chili-abita butter sauce

Once again, bonus points to the server for his suggestion. What really made this dish was the combination of flavors. The smoked cheddar grits were very creamy, but not too rich, and the tang of the glaze with the butter sauce made for a very flavorful bite. Serving portion was just right, as I don't think my arteries would be too happy with me if I ate any more (that and my on again, off again shrimp allergies would probably kick in).

Buttermilk fried breast of chicken with bourbon mashed sweet potatoes, smithfield ham cream gravy and sauteed sugar snap peas

This was Joel's dish, and the serving size was huge. It almost looked like there were 3 half chickens on his plate. It was very tasty, but just a little too much. Joel and I noticed it was cheaper on the lunch menu, so perhaps portions are a bit smaller then.

NOLA banana pudding layer cake with a graham cracker crust, homemade vanilla wafers and a warm fudge drizzle

Since our server did such a good job with his previous recommendations, we let him choose the dessert. The banana pudding layer cake was very good, but the accompanying ice cream was so incredible, that I barely remember anything about the cake. The "drunken monkey" was a banana ice cream with mint chocolate chips, rum, and who knows what else, but it was to die for. I was already so incredibly full from our meal, but I'm pretty sure my stomach shoved everything out of the way so I could eat more ice cream. It was so delicious that I felt compelled to tell the new couple next to us who just ordered, to leave room for the banana ice cream. So good, it'll make you talk to strangers.

While very much a casual setting, the service we got was quite good. I feel like it goes without saying here in New Orleans, but everyone was extremely nice. We had one main server, with a couple of helpers, and our food was always served at the same time. Whenever one of us got up to use the restroom, someone would come and fold our napkin. And of course, our server was quite right with his recommendations. The only blip was when one of the guys took a little too long getting Joel's ice tea. Otherwise, a very wonderful dining experience.

To walk off the meal, we walked around Bourbon St for a little bit, then decided to change into more casual attire and partake in the Friday night Bourbon St shenanigans. What happens on Bourbon St stays on Bourbon St, but one of the best lines of the night came from the hostess at Razoo's, who was shouting directions from the stage: "Clap your hands!! White people, try to get as close to the beat as possible!!!"