Restaurant Review: Cafe NOLA in Philadelphia, PA

What I most love about New Orleans is the surreal charm brought by the combination of influences that the city has had over its complex history-establishment by the French, then colonization by the Spanish, then finally being sold to Americans. The city has been called "the most unique city in America," and the festive food and drink is a major reason for this label.

The interior of Cafe Nola brings one back to the fun and funk of Bourbon Street, with all the trimmings of Mardi Gras. Elegant in some areas, mismatched in others, colorful all around. The servers are thorough and friendly, and go out of their way to educate diners about the many nuances of their outstanding Cajun cuisine.

The menu is Old N'awlins and never really takes its eye off the ball - Nola does classic, delicious Creole. My beau and I started with some hearty appetizers - the Chicken Caesar Salad topped with yummy golden-fried oysters ($14.95), a delicious and innovative take on the classic caesar. The Clams Oreganatto ($9.95) is a large plate of fresh, succulent steamed clams in a spicy herb butter. Like we needed it, we also ordered the Voodoo Crawdaddies ($9.95) - delicious, spicy, garlicky shrimp and crawfish.

So much food! We were almost ready to throw in the towel with just the appetizers, but we are not the type of couple to pass up any kind of food, so we pressed on. And while I am sure there are a few items that would work well for those watching their waistline, I recommend going to Nola for sheer downhome-New Orleans decadence. We shared a few classic Nola entrees, both of which were selections from the specials of the night (there are always several in addition to the vast selection on the menu).

My entree was a huge piece of perfectly-cooked catfish, smothered in butter and served over Cajun rice ($18.95). My boy had the Louie Armstrong Trio ($24.95), an outstanding combination of chicken, shrimp and andouille sausage again served over Cajun rice. Succeeding in representing the over-the-top spirit of New Orleans, the portions are massive. By the end of the entree course, I swore I wouldn't touch another bite.

But my gluttonous boyfriend decided we needed dessert. He gobbled down a piece of the super-sweet pecan pie, and his reckless abandon leads me to believe it was delicious. I have no room to make fun of him, as I had another classic Nola dish-the flaming Bananas Foster-almost as flaming as our readers! Yummy all around.

We topped off the night with just what we needed to wake us from our food coma - an eye-opening espresso martini that made it possible to walk ourselves back to our Gayborhood apartment.

Until you can make it back to New Orleans, make it a point to get yourself down to Cafe Nola. It's a trip I will certainly make again.

Café Nola, 414 S. 2nd St, 215-574-1687.