On the afternoon of our latest Foodies get together I looked over the Gumbo’s menu to get a head start on what I was going to order, unfortunately I was unable to make a decision because the extensive menu had just too many great sounding options. I decided to wait and make my decision when I got to the restaurant, but that proved futile since in addition to the great regular menu there was also a great specials menu to choose from. I decided to choose an appetizer from the specials menu – the New Orleans-style stuffed quahogs and for my main dish, I ordered the seafood Jambalaya from the everyday menu. I asked the server to make sure the Jambalaya had a good spicy “kick” to it.
My New Orleans-style stuffed quahogs came out first. I was intrigued to find out exactly what made them “New-Orleans” style but after one bite it was clear the creole spiced stuffing was main difference. Spicy and hot the stuffing contained huge chucks of clams, sausage, celery and spices and were the perfect beginning to my meal.
Jambalaya is one of the most recognized dishes from the south and can be prepared in a variety of ways. Some people get Jambalaya and Gumbo confused but the main difference is with Jambalaya the rice is mixed into the dish. The Seafood Jambalaya at Gumbo was a huge portion, and included a thick and rich tomato-based broth with shrimp, scallops, mussels, crawfish (although I couldn’t find one…), celery, onions, peppers and a whole lot of creole spices. I asked the server to make sure mine was spicy but for whatever the reason, it fell just a little short on the heat index! Overall the dish was outstanding and even though it was not as “hot” as I would have liked, it was still extremely satisfying. The spices were strong enough but didn’t overpower the seafood and the seafood was abundant enough that it wasn’t overpowered by the rice.
A few side notes about our visit to Gumbo…I think I tried everyone’s meal that was within reaching distant of me (another reason the Foodies group is so great)…and everything I tasted was outstanding and plentiful. The service was great and all the meals arrived hot and in short order which is tough to do when serving a group as large as ours. The atmosphere was cool – we were seated in the “cave” room which is a very unique setting and for those of you who had dined at the restaurant that previously was at this address you will see a lot of physical changes to the space which now includes an open kitchen and expansive bar. Overall, Gumbo is a great addition to the dining scene in Worcester and I cannot wait for a return visit! -JG
