NOLA - the food was great, finding it was a different matter.

We went to Emril's restaurant NOLA on our return from the cruise. It was EXCELLENT. Wow... everything you'd expect from watching Emril cook on TV.

We had reservations, arrived on time and were seated within a few minutes. It ended up being about $40 a person, without alcohol or desert. We all have appetizers and two of us had salads. We didn't get desert (although they looked great) because: a) we had been eating all week like pigs, and b) we were stuffed from what we had already eaten.

I had a mussel appetizer that was great and then a duck, spinach and goat cheese salad and then swordfish. Quality of food, uniqueness of flavors, and presentation was great.

Yahoo maps had stated something like "we aren't exactly sure of the address, but it should be close to the red star". Yeah... right.

We got off the boat, picked up a rental car, and then headed into the French Quarter. We walked around, had some beniegs(sp?) and at about 12:00 figured we better head to NOLA for our 12:30 reservations. Lana navigated and Steve drove. Looking at the yahoo map along with a local map, Lana got us closer and closer to the red star... which took us out of the French quarter, and into a side of town that looked seeder and seeder. At one point we were like, "Are we lost" and right then, in the grass median were a series of signs:

- You aren't lost!
- Keep going!
- Look around!

and so on. Turns out we were in a part of town that was getting renovated. One side of the street is new and the other condemned. At point Lana reads off the address, which is on Saint James Street. Tina remarks "Isn't that in the French Quarter?". I look at the paper laying on the console, notice that it says "cross street Chartres". At that point we head back into the French Quarter, find the restaurant is about 2 blocks from where were parked about 25 minutes ago, and get to the restaurant right on time.

It was quite the adventure. A good laugh and we ended up on time.

So... if you look at the address, figure out the cross street, you'll have no problem finding it. If you go based on yahoo... forget it!