New Orleans Part 5 of 10 (Emeril's)

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No trip to New Orleans would be complete without a visit to one of Emeril Lagasse's restaurants. All 3 establishments (Delmonico, Emeril's and NOLA) had similar menus but because I found a few more interesting dishes at Emeril's, we dined there. Since I finished work at 5pm on Sunday evening, we made reservations for 6pm. It would have been about a 10-15 minute walk, but as soon as we went downstairs it started pouring; taxi it was. As soon as the taxi pulled up, there was a gentleman to greet us at Emeril's with an umbrella. Nice welcoming. As we had made reservations, (why anyone wouldn't use Opentable is beyond me) we were immediately taken to our table.

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We were quickly introduced to the 3 staff members that would be taking care of our table. Our water glasses were always filled and we were refreshed on our bread plate a couple of times during the evening. The options included a sweet potato bread, cornbread muffin and a roll. All were fresh and had good flavor though our favorite was probably the sweet potato bread.

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For an appetizer we ordered the Thai BBQ Lamb Ribs with crunchy asian pear slaw, toasted peanuts and sesame. The ribs were very succulent with the slaw adding a nice balance. Eating with our hands seemed out of place due to the upscale nature of the restaurant. That being said, the meat slid off the bone with our fork. Mess avoided.

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For my entree, I selected the special of the day: Smoked Quail & Jumbo Shrimp Curry with Carolina Rice Grits, Roasted Baby Fennel. This was my first interaction with quail. Though a smaller bird, it was still full of flavor. The fennel was there for textural contrast, but could have been substituted for another vegetable as the fennel was the miss of the night for me. The shrimp and grits were very delightful.

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My wife had the Saffron-Chili Dusted Jumbo Shrimp with Sweet Potato-Smoked Corn Grits, Skillet Beans, Benton's Bacon and Mango Chow Chow. She found her dish highly delectable.

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While our stomachs were quite satisfied, it was almost a requirement (I felt) that we order dessert. We settled on the Chocolate Chip - Blackberry Crumble Tart with Coffee Ice Cream and Cocoa Nib. The balance of flavors, the tang of the blackberry and the smoothness of the  coffee, created one harmonious dessert.




The balance of great (not suffocating) service and brilliant cuisine made for a great dinner experience. It's quite understandable how Emeril came up with his trademark saying: BAM!