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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

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Crawfish Étouffée

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