NOLA Restaurant Celebrates 20 Years

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Camille Breland
O: 504.524.4241
C: 504.913.1950
camille.breland@emerillagasse.com

NOLA Restaurant Celebrates 20 Years

Proceeds from Classic Menu Donated to Youth and Community Initiatives

NEW ORLEANS (Oct. 1, 2012) - NOLA, Chef Emeril Lagasse's funky French Quarter restaurant, turned 20 this year and is celebrating by bringing back a few classic dishes, with proceeds from the special menu benefitting youth- and community-enriching initiatives in the New Orleans area. During the month of October, a portion of proceeds from the throwback menu will be donated to the Emeril Lagasse Foundation, which supports local programs such as the Edible Schoolyard and Café Reconcile and sustains a four-year culinary arts program at the New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts.

"NOLA has experienced an amazing ride in the past 20 years, always maintaining its foundation of high-quality, fresh, local ingredients coupled with excellent customer service," said Lagasse, owner and executive chef of the restaurant. "With his intuitive culinary talent, Chef Josh is leading NOLA into a new era of New Orleans cuisine, grounded in Creole tradition but-of course-kicked up a notch with slight ethnic twists."

Beginning today, NOLA will offer the special menu [see attachment], including fan-favorites such as the cedar-planked roasted drum, pecan crusted trout and smoked rabbit and andouille etouffée. Guests may also join Tom Fitzmorris at NOLA's Eat Club dinner on October 9, 7 - 10 p.m.

Opened in 1992 as Lagasse's second restaurant, NOLA brought the chef's modern Creole and Acadian cuisine to the heart of the Quarter. Today the restaurant's kitchen is overseen by Chef Josh Laskay, a native New Orleanian who enjoys blending ethic flavors such as Vietnamese and Southwestern cuisine with Louisiana's Creole heritage.

Reservations for NOLA Restaurant can be made online at OpenTable.com or by calling (504) 522-6652. View the full menus at http://www.emerilsrestaurants.com/nola-restaurant.

About NOLA Restaurant

Since opening in 1992, NOLA has garnered numerous awards and recognitions for its culinary excellence. In 1993, the restaurant was named Esquire magazine's "Best New Restaurant"; named a "haute spot" by Southern Living; given top accolades by the Times Picayune restaurant critic; and hosted Julia Child for dinner after a taping of her show "Master Chefs." NOLA welcomed its 1 millionth customer in 2000 and was named "Best Restaurant" by WHERE magazine's Visitor's Choice Awards. In 2009, it earned a "top service" rating by Zagat and saw 2 million customers come through by 2011. Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton have both dined in the restaurant, as well as countless famous actors, musicians and artists.

About Emeril Lagasse

Chef Emeril Lagasse is the chef/proprietor of 13 award-winning restaurants, including three in New Orleans (Emeril's, NOLA and Emeril's Delmonico); four in Las Vegas (Emeril's New Orleans

Fish House, Delmonico Steakhouse, Table 10 and Lagasse's Stadium); two in Orlando (Emeril's

Orlando and Emeril's Tchoup Chop); three in Bethlehem, Pa. (Emeril's Chop House, Burgers And More by Emeril and Emeril's Italian Table) and one in Charlotte, N.C. (e2 emeril's eatery). Emeril is a national TV personality who has hosted more than 2,000 shows on the Food Network. He is also the food correspondent for ABC's "Good Morning America," in addition to his popular Cooking Channel food shows "Emeril Live" and "The Originals with Emeril." A best-selling author, Emeril has published more than 16 cookbooks, including his recent Sizzling Skillets and Other One-Pot Wonders. In 2002, Emeril established the Emeril Lagasse Foundation to support children's art and educational programs that inspire and mentor young people. To date, the Foundation has donated more than $5 million to children's causes.

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