Front: LA Cajun Caviar. Market Potato Salad. Crème Fraiche. Parsley. Oil

Boudin Tamale. Roasted Tomatillo. Red Chile Sauce. Roasted Louisiana Oysters. Marrow. Hogs Head. Salsa Verde.

Steamed Mussels. Coconut Milk. Lime. Cilantro.

Point Judith Calamari. White Bean Purée. Lemon. Cerignola Olive.

Yellowfin Tuna Wraps.  Jalapeño. Crunchy Noodles. Citrus.

Candied Pork Ribs. Five Spice.

Upside-Down Cornbread. Pineapple. House Bacon Marmalade.

Although we set a reservation, there was a bit of a wait. Meril’s is HOT and NEW so that was to be expected. Once you’re seated, you’re good to go! Noise level is a bit high and echo-ey so if you’re looking for a quiet romantic dinner, this may not be the restaurant for you. As for the menu, every bite leaves you wanting more (in a good way!). I’m not going to lie, there were a few dishes I really wish I had all to myself.

My friends and I really enjoyed the Steamed Mussels, Caviar, Tuna wraps, and the Spiced Short Ribs. Of all the dishes we ordered these were the table favorites! When there’s that many favorites among so many people, you know it’s good! Sharing the dishes with a table of 7 was such a tease…

What to LOVE: Small plates! My personal fave was the Caviar, but the other dishes were almost just as good. Amazing job in the Meril’s kitchen!

What NOT to love: We had to wait 20-30 minutes even though we set a reservation. Noise level. It’s not rowdy but it was pretty difficult to hold steady conversations without hearing “Excuse me? What did you say?!”.

Overall Rating: 4.5/5 spoons

Food: 5/5 spoons

Service: 4/5

Amuse Bouche. Vietnamese BBQ

“Emeril’s” New Orleans BBQ Shrimp. Petite Rosemary Biscuit and Fresh Chives.

Charbroiled Oysters and Escargot in Butter.

Steamy Buffalo Chappapeela Farms Duck Wings. Shaved Celery. REd grapes. Whippe Blue Cheese Creme Fraiche.

Crisp -Point Judith Calamari. Olive Salad. Parmesan. Smoked Tomato Sauce

Crisp – Point Judith Calamari. House Made Pepper Jelly. Crisp Okra. Black Pepper-Buttermilk Ranch

Seared Scallops and Softshell Crab.

Maple-Soy Lacquered Chapapella Farms Duck. Dirty Fried Rice. Pickled Local Vegetables.

Shrimp and Linguini.

Truffled Shrimp “Louis” Salad. Iceberg Wedge. Applewood Smoked Bacon. Chopped Eg. Asparagus. Tobiko.

Canteloupe Sorbet.

BAM! Bombarded with the whole dessert menu! Man, is it good to have friends in the industry. Being the foodies that we are, the chef and I have made friends in the industry and we were treated like kings and queens. To top it all off, they served us with a buffet of desserts:

Key Lime Ice Box Pie. Torched Cinnamon Meringue. Honey Graham Crust.

Emeril’s Banana Creme Pie. Graham Cracker Crust. Caramel Sauce. Chocolate Shavings

Chocolate-Sambuca Mousse Cake. Au Lait Semifreddo. Espresso Bean Bark

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie. Oreo Crust. Caramel Sauce.

Walnut Foster Bread Pudding. Cinnamon Candied Walnut. Bruleed Banana.

What a memorable meal! Tons of food and all with that Emeril’s flair! Great execution of every dish. Rich with flavor and leaving my mouth watering..even now.

Blue Crab Dip. You know how much I love my crabmeat…

Sweet Potato and Ricotta Gnocchi.  Nola brown ale braised MS rabbit. Tasso. Roasted mushrooms. Carmelized Onions.

Broccoli Rabe. 

20oz. Bone-in Ribeye.  (1/2 of the steak pictured above…”The Chef” and I shared it) Served w/ housemade compound butter. Emeril’s worcestershire. Bearnaise and Chimichurri sauces. Naturally raised, dry aged on premises for 17-23 days. Handcut and broiled at 1200 degrees. 

Chef friends have recommended this steak and I can taste why...It was delicious. No extra sauces needed. Well-seasoned and moist. We ordered medium since it was a thicker steak and it came out perfectly! Delmonico’s isn’t a steakhouse, but you don’t have to be  steakhouse to know a good steak. I’ve been to a few steakhouses in the city and you can’t even compare those steaks to this one…

Overall, it was a great dining experience. Despite the fancy setting, it’s more laid back than the showy presentation I remember from years ago, which I don’t really mind. It’s comfortable and better reflects true New Orleans fine dining..great food with good ‘ol Southern hospitality.

If you haven’t been to Delmonico, I’d recommend that you try it at least once!

View from my seat..

Table with a view! 

Casual dining at its best!

Enough pictures of the restaurant..let’s get to the food! When “the chef” and I looked at the menu, many of the appetizers stood out to us much more than the actual entrees so we created our very own tasting menu…

Complimentary Ciabatta bread and Cornbread. 

Miss Hay’s Stuffed Chicken Wings. Homemade Hoisin Dipping Sauce. 

LOVED this dish…I’m typically not a fan of “fusion” types of food, but here, American + Asian = DIVINE! The authentic Vietnamese egg roll stuffing inside a juicy deep fried chicken wing was interesting and leaves you wanting more…

Duck Confit and Fried Egg Pizza. Parmesan Cheese. Truffle Oil. Baby Arugula.

Although it appears large, it’s light and savory…

Aged Allen Benton’s Country Ham Salad. Moonshine Spiked Watermelon. Arugula. Feta Cheese. Citrus-Herb Vinaigrette. 

Gumbo of the Day: Cochon and Andouille Gumbo.

New Orleans Style Crab Cake. Spicy Corn Relish. Crystal-Butter Sauce. 

Good but not my favorite. The corn relish balanced the heavily seasoned crab cake and gave it a refreshing kick with the Crystal-Butter sauce. 

Crispy Smoked Duck and Mushroom Boudin Balls. Tomato-Bacon Jam. Creole Mustard. 

NOLA Banana Pudding Layer Cake. Graham Cracker Crust. Vanilla Wafers. Fudge Sauce. 

One thing I’ve learned is when you’re craving a good ol’ homemade banana pudding, you won’t get it at these upper echelon restaurants…but what you will get is an overly decadent yet still so delicious version. Not too far from the original homemade kind…fresh slices of banana, light pudding cream, graham cracker crust…loved it! 

Great experience at NOLA in Nola! Great service. Cool and casual vibe. Great place for a laid back night but very good food. Props to Mr. Emeril Lagasse!