Tag: WFXVIII

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Shrimp and Grits

Nestled in a building on Water Street in the Canal District in Worcester, Gumbo is one of Worcester’s newest restaurants. Billed as a New Orleans kitchen and Oyster Bar  it is nice to hear of something other than another Italian restaurant opening. The main dining area was a slightly darker room with lots of brick, stone, and exposed beams—hints of purple and gold accented the room. We were promptly seated and pondered over the wide variety of selections on the menu. I opted for the Shrimp and Grits that were described as “well seasoned gulf shrimp sautéed with onions, peppers, and celery in a Louisiana BBQ sauce… served over a creamy cheddar and jalapeno grits.” The meal delivered what it promised, pairing seven large shrimp with a tasty red BBQ sauce. The grits had a nice jalapeno cheddar taste to them and were the perfect accompaniment to the shrimp. My only suggestions would be to season the shrimp a little more and to make the sautéed vegetables more pronounced for added texture. Overall, I will definitely be back to Gumbo to try more of the dishes Gumbo has to offer. A welcomed addition to the Worcester dining scene. -DO

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Shrimp ‘n Grits

The location for Gumbo was in a somewhat busy section of Worcester just down from Kelley Square. Parking can be a bit of a challenge, with street parking available and a small parking lot available with meters. Stepping into Gumbo’s you step down into a lower room, which is slightly lower then the sidewalk outside, its lit reasonably well however you do get the feeling that your in a basement. The decor gave me a feeling of medieval, there was a spectacular stained glass window in the dining room where we were seated which reminded me of something you would find in an old church. A big cozy fireplace surrounded by gray natural and rugged looking rock dominated the room and helped intensify the feeling of stepping back in time to the medieval ages.

Once we were seated, our waitress was prompt and came right over to inquire about beverages. They had a very inventive and creative drink list with fun names that made me want to try something new but I went with my usual Red Sangria, I enjoyed it, and it came in a mason jar, neat.

I opted out of getting an appetizer and instead had a few bites of my husbands Gumbo soup, it was very flavorful with what I considered a large portion of rice with it. Other then being a little heavy on the salt, I liked it. I thought it was a large quantity for an appetizer and I could see where the lighter eater could make a meal out of it with a side salad.

I ordered the Shrimp n Grits; I was in the mood for comfort food. I would recommend this meal, however I am unsure what the standard is for this, as I had never had this before, what I received I enjoyed. The Grits were cooked nicely, had a bite to them as they where flavored with jalapeno’s and cheddar cheese, I thought they were fantastic and I would have eaten them plain without the spicy red Cajun style sauce that came with the shrimp, the sauce however added to the whole new dimension to the meal. -RL