Emeril’s Reopens in New Orleans With a New and Distinct Wine Bar | Eater New Orleans

"Opened on November 1 as an almost entirely separate entity with its own entrance, the Wine Bar at Emeril’s (334 Julia Street) is meant to be a fun, friend-friendly spot that encourages walk-ins and stays open later (until 11 p.m. on weekends). E.J. designed a continuously changing, semi-improvised menu that launched with 17 items and is expected to expand to 22–25, featuring dishes such as a toro tuna tartare with nori sheets for building hand rolls, wagyu croquettes made from the trim of an olive-fed wagyu served on the restaurant menu, a blue crab salad served with Zapp’s potato chips using crab from a Grand Isle purveyor (noted as seasonal), and a traditional New Orleans–style barbecue shrimp prepared in the pan with a Worcestershire and jalapeño base finished with cream, butter, and chives that E.J. says will taste the same as the 1990 version. The bar operates with its own sommelier, access to the restaurant’s 31,000-bottle cellar, a highly rotated by-the-glass selection, cocktails, an “extremely fluid” wine program inspired by seasons and local events, and a separate Instagram page to announce nightly pours." - Clair Lorell