Dining Out Southeast: NOLA on Second, Gadsden, AL

We dined at NOLA on Second back in April. We've been trying to have time to return ever since. I recently retired from my legal assistant job and I chose this wonderful restaurant to have my celebratory meal!

We were fortunate to have Megan as our server for this visit.  As with our last visit, she never let the drinks run dry, answered questions about the menu with knowledge of ingredients and preparation. It's always a plus to have a server who is well versed with the menu and well trained.  She's awesome.

Our bartender, Chris, mixed a perfect Strawberry Martini.  Light and refreshing, it's the perfect summertime cocktail. Thank you, Chris!

We started with the Seafood Dip which is a creamy blend of crab, crawfish, and shrimp. It's served bubbling hot and is liberally topped with parmesan cheese and panko.  Served with saltine crackers and house made pork skins for dipping.  If you're a fan of hot seafood dips, you'll definitely need to try their version.

Sweet Harold chose The Lagniappe Platter.  This dish offers a variety of shrimp, oysters, crawfish, and chicken. It's served with fries and coleslaw with house made remoulade and cocktail sauce.  The proteins can be prepared grilled, blackened or fried.  He enjoyed this tremendously and with such ample portions, he had leftovers to bring home for the next day's lunch.  The bites he shared with me were given my full approval as well.

I chose the Fish Ponchartrain which is a generous portion of the Fresh Catch topped with shrimp and crabmeat in a rich cream sauce and served over steamed rice. The Fresh Catch was Barramundi, which Megan described as having a mild, clean, buttery flavor.  The fish was delicious as prepared and the skin was crisped perfectly.  The sauce was flavorful and loaded with the shrimp and crabmeat.

I can't say enough positives regarding the staff, atmosphere, and the food. NOLA on Second is the perfect dining experience for not only those most special occasions, but for dropping in for a quick Po'Boy, burger or muffuletta.  We're extremely fortunate to have this restaurant in our city.