Ever since I was little, I’ve been a huge fan of Emeril Lagasse’s big attitude, catchphrases, and television appearances. I even did a book report on him back in the third or fourth grade. So, I was more than excited to go to his first restaurant that he opened back in 1990 — Emeril’s.

Emeril’s is located a little bit outside the French Quarter. The restaurant is on the corner with a brick wall that read’s the title of the restaurant in Emeril’s classic signature font.

I loved the interior immediately. It has a nice, cool atmosphere with slightly dimmed lighting. It’s a very comforting vibe. There’s an open kitchen in the back where you could watch the chefs create your dishes. For people who go to the restaurant alone, one could sit right at the kitchen area, which is a really nice touch.

Upon seating, they give each person their own individual assorted breads — honeywheat, cornbread, and some sort of rye-type of bread. I found it noteworthy when the waiter switched the color of my napkin to black because I was wearing black pants — an example of detailed upper-level service that’s sometimes hard to find.

After asking our waiter for suggestions and a lot of intense Yelp-ing, I settled on what seemed to be the “best” two dishes. I got the BBQ shrimp for an appetizer. The shrimp were very good, and presented very attractively. The flavor was all in the BBQ sauce, but the dish was nonetheless good. It wasn’t extraordinary, but I agree that the shrimp was a good starter.

For my main entree, I ordered the Andouille Crusted Golf Drum fish over shoestring potatoes. Boy, this dish was good. It was probably the best entree I had on my entire trip. Everything about this dish — the presentation, the textures, the flavors, the presentation — were awesome. I had to google “andouille” because I had no clue what it was, but apparently it’s a smoked sausage, which was quite a unique and innovative addition to a fish. The shoestring potatoes added a distinct crunch to the soft fish texture. I would 100% have this dish again at anytime, and if I went back to New Orleans, I’d surely go back to get this.

My mom ordered their duck dish, and my dad ordered a whole fish special. The whole fish was presented very nice, and it seemed to be very good. I think the duck dish was adequate, but probably not the best choice on the menu. I am clearly biased, but I’d pick the drum fish hands-down.

For dessert, Emeril’s signature banana cream pie was unparalleled. The dessert was very attractive and delicious. It was definitely a memorable meal.

All in all, I’d say Emeril’s was definitely my favorite restaurant that we went to in New Orleans. I want to go there right now just writing about it. The atmosphere, the service, the food — it was all exceptional. Emeril did a phenomenal job, and I’d definitely go back.