Before heading over to Gumbo I had been looking forward to their crawfish étouffée. “Looking forward to” is an understatement. My crawfish craving was so intense the boyfriend was starting to worry that it was a symptom of something else. It’s not.
Gumbo‘s a good place. A menu focused on New Orleans cooking is always welcome. The mood is set with stained glass windows, a fireplace, exposed brick and stone. Upon walking in, you’re ready for a good night. This is a solid place for a date, going out with friends or family.
The etouffee came with plenty of crawfish. Whoo hoo! Those sweet fresh water pygmy lobsters were making my dreams come true. Gumbo cheerfully served their just-right New Orleans style rice on the side. That first fork-full should have been a dream sequence of anticipation being met. Harps playing, clouds parting, a bite of bliss. Well, it should have been bliss, but there was no spice, no bite, no New Orleans fire to warm my mouth. It was such a mild dish that I added salt, hoping it would bring out a subtlety that I’d missed.
Even though the dish lacked the usual heat, there were plenty of crawfish and the consistency of the dish was just right. I’ll try something else the next time I’m at Gumbo. There were so many other delicious sounding dishes, and it was so comfortable at Gumbo, that I’ll be back. -MF