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Blackened Catfish with Braised Greens

 

Upon arrival at Gumbo I found the always welcoming foodie crew waiting in a room that was reminiscent of a cave with natural rock, brick and an almost subtle cool/rustic ambiance. I loved the stained glass window with a beautiful fleur de lis and a small little fireplace mounted on the wall.

I was very bewildered as to what I should order as the menu proved to offer some wonderful southern style selections. I felt as though it would behoove me to experience something truly “authentic” after all we are in Worcester not NOLA. Étouffée was something I have never tried and certainly caught my eye or should I say appetite; however I was not in the mood for anything that would have been a bit too heavy.

I started with some delicious sangria; this tasty libation was served in a cute mason jar (idea for home) and the Chicken, Okra and Andouille Gumbo appetizer special. The gumbo serving size was very large. It had a serving of the gumbo on one half and rice on the other. It was delicious! I loved the rich flavors and the delicious chicken; I had to leave room for my main entrée but wanted to devour all of it.

For my main entrée I ordered the blackened catfish with braised greens; our extremely helpful and nice waitress asked how spicy I would like it prepared on a spice level, I decided to keep it less spicy than extreme.

My meal arrived and looked as though it was cooked perfectly. The catfish was delicious; the spice was just enough and as observed was in fact cooked perfectly. I was not that fond of the dressed greens as they were a bit too spicy, on the colder side and there was very little bacon.

Overall my meal was fantastic and I cannot wait to go back and try the Étouffée, and of course more sangria.-LB

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Shrimp Monica from Gumbo on Water Street

With a name like Gumbo, you wouldn’t necessarily picture a restaurant that was nestled in Worcester’s Canal District and mingled amongst some of Worcester more popular bars. However, upon entering this location, you quickly learn that this place fits right in! The actual dining room of Gumbo is set in the basement of the building, adorned with brick and stonework, as well as stained glass and pictures that immediately transport you to New Orleans. I was hoping for a menu filled with inspired seafood dishes and southern staples and I wasn’t disappointed. I finally decided on the Shrimp Monica. Labeled as a Jazz fest classic, this dish consisted of jumbo shrimp sautéed with Creole spice and julienned vegetables. It was finished with a rich Parmesan cream and tossed with fettuccine. Being one of the specials of the day, I figured I couldn’t go wrong. When the dish arrived at the table, I was surprised at the size of the dish. It was much smaller than I would’ve thought it would be. However, it turned out to be just the right size portion. The rich cream sauce filled you up and kept you full throughout the meal. The shrimp were coated with creole spice were cooked perfectly and had a delightfully fresh taste to them. I was looking for something a little spicier though. I would have liked to have a bit more cayenne pepper or red chili flake, to kick it up a notch…because without those bold flavors, this could be just another run-of-the-mill shrimp and Alfredo dishes. I had to add a decent amount of salt and pepper just to accentuate the flavor of the dish. With so many choices on the menu, I would have liked to try a half dozen other items, so I guess that means that they created a regular customer –ED