Any restaurant associated with Lagasse will be crowded, but Nola has a distinctly informal feel--somewhere between hipster chic and white linen. The kitchen balances a dizzying array of flavors and textures in its deep selection of contemporary Creole dishes. The rotating menu has featured such dishes as paillard (quickly grilled breast scallop) of chicken with portobello mushroom, chevre-potato ravioli and smoked shoestring onion rings, and cedar plank-roasted redfish.

Looking for the romantic touch..here’s the tip… ask to sit in one of the nooks and crannies on the main floor dining room.