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Fried Catfish on Water Street

Gumbo can be summarized in a bite sized way: good food and cool atmosphere. If you have a craving for some different flavors then this is the place to come. I love the old building that it is in with its old worn wood floors and exposed stonewalls.

I started the evening by splitting a couple of the appetizers with a friend. The stuffed quahogs were a special of the night and when they first arrived I was a bit disappointed by the amount of stuffing because I was worried that there was nothing but breading in there, but each bite was filled with sweet clams and I was happy the quahog was so stuffed. The second appetizer that I tried was the French quarter tart. The caramelized onions were super sweet on the pastry dough and drizzled with an addictive balsamic glaze, I was sad when I was finished with it.

Deciding to try something a bit different from what I would normally order I decided on the fried catfish dinner plate. The fish is perfectly cooked…so light and flakey that the hot crispy layer of crust was satisfying. I was shocked at how good this fried fish was with no greasy taste. At first I thought the crust might be a bit under-seasoned though…while perfectly crispy there is little salt or spice, but then I dipped the fish in a tomato tartar that it came with and the heavens opened and the birds sang. I understood…the fish is the ultimate vehicle for this tartar which was perfectly seasoned. My two sides were some creamy mash potatoes, and the season appropriate and very flavorful roasted corn. Overall this place is a good addition to Worcester and definitely good enough for me to make a semi-regular stop when craving those unique flavors. –SB