Nola

Nola Restaurant Review:

Offering up all the "N'awlins" classics including hurricanes, gumbo and crawfish etouffée, this good-times gathering spot in Palo Alto is popular with visitors and locals alike. The blackened ahi is recommended. Interestingly, so are the margaritas. If perhaps the drinks and food aren't 100 percent Creole, the décor more than makes up for it. The restaurant boasts a huge collection of voodoo art, and management keeps a substantial supply of Mardi Gras beads in reserve---diners can have a strand or two just for the asking. Note: Reservations are accepted only for the hours of 6:30 p.m. or 8:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday---outside of those times simply get in line.