Tag: beans

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Blackened Pork Delmonico

Gumbo sits down stairs in what looks like a refurbished basement in the building at 65 Water St. The main room of the restaurant is a lovely room, with stone and brick walls, a fireplace (gas), and a stained glass window. The lighting is nicely done, providing ample light to read the menu and converse, while keeping the atmosphere cozy.

The food here has a Cajun slant and there is a nice mix of meat and seafood to choose from.

As an appetizer, I started with the Chicken, Okra, and Andouille Gumbo. This is a very thick gumbo, served on the side of a bowl with rice. The gumbo was very flavorful with a hint of heat and very tasty. It went very well with the rice, and it was nice without the rice as well. The only negative I could say is that it is a little large for an appetizer. Overall, a very good 1st course.

For dinner, I had the Blackened Pork Delmonico over Red Beans and Rice. I was asked if I wanted mild, spicy or extra spicy so I asked for the extra spicy. Again, the presentation was very nice with two very large/thick loin chops over a large portion of rice with red beans, sausage and vegetables and a small side of garlic butter. The read beans and rice was delicious. Everything was cooked perfectly, had a great flavor and all the parts married together very nicely. The pork was thick, but was still cooked perfectly. The blackening was nicely coated and they were still very moist. The chops were fantastic without the garlic butter, and even better with just a hint of the garlic butter coating them. They were not extra spicy though. What they called extra spicy, I’d call mild for blackened. Again, a very large portion, there is no reason to leave there hungry. Overall, an excellent main course. –DL

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Sliced Beef Brisket

Sliced Beef Brisket at Smokestack Urban Barbecue

The Sliced Beef Brisket from Smokestack Urban Barbecue on Harding Street in Worcester.

It used to be difficult to find a restaurant in the Worcester area that focused their culinary skills on BBQ, so when Smokestack Urban Barbecue opened their doors in 2010 with a focus on Southern Style BBQ many were eager to give their bountiful menu a chance.

A safe bet with any BBQ restaurant is the Beef Brisket. At Smokestack, it comes with traditional cornbread and a choice of two sides; our choice was the Cucumber Salad, BBQ beans, and, taking advantage of an added third option, the Mac & Cheese. Prepared in true Southern style, the brisket is dry smoked and prepared with a flavorful Southern inspired rub; two house BBQ sauces are available at the table to “add the heat or the sweet.” The meat, enough to take home for lunch the next day, is prepared perfectly, rendering the necessity of a knife obsolete. With an intense smoke flavor, this dry rubbed meat is thinly sliced, tender, lean, and cooked to perfection. The Mac and Cheese compliments the meat, yet is also dense with flavor unlike the watery consistency of many local versions. In addition, both the BBQ beans and cucumber salad worked together to bring different flavors and textures to this meal, creating a true southern BBQ experience.