Every Dish at Emeril’s New Warehouse District Restaurant Meril Is Under $20

Emeril Lagasse’s first new New Orleans restaurant since 1998 Meril is opening on Saturday, September 24, and if you’re wondering what to expect? It’s totally casual, Ian McNulty reports this week.

The neighborhood eatery— named after Emeril’s daughter— has a wood-fire oven and robata grill, reflecting a menu that spotlights various global-influences inspired by Emeril’s travels. The dishes have all been crafted by his team of chefs, including the Lagasse empire’s culinary director Chris Wilson and Will Avelar (who will actually be overseeing the kitchen as chef de cuisine), but astoundingly, every dish is under $20 with half the menu (small plates) under $10.

This includes pastas like a goccheti with anchovy sauce, turkey necks with sofrito, Vietnamese spring rolls, Korean short ribs and Mexican corn cooked on the robata, flatbreads and Iberico ham, house made ice cream, and more. The bar features 10 local draft beers, along with wine and craft drinks

Sounds like a major departure from Lagasse’s fine dining holdings in New Orleans, which include Emeril’s, Emeril’s Delmonico and NOLA. What’s more, McNulty notes:

There are playful touches, like a cotton candy machine in the kitchen and chocolate-dipped waffle cones for the specialty Pacojet ice cream. And there are practical ones too, like outlets lining the bar for diners to recharge their phones during a multi-tasking meal.

Status: Meril officially opens on September 24 at 424 Girod St., Anticipated Hours: Sunday to Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday & Saturday., 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. (504) 526-3745. Website here.

• Inside Emeril Lagasse's latest eatery: family ties, food obsessions and one well-used passport [Advocate]
• All Eater Tracking [ENOLA]