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(June
2003)
Hey there, restaurant fans. We move to Round Rock this week for our
review. Now, don't get me wrong. I like Round Rock. But after Dell Computers
and the new baseball team, well, there just isn't a lot there. But then
I found Gumbo's, a Cajun spot near the intersection of 620 and I-35.
It took me a half-hour to get there from Westlake, but I'll tell you
what, it was worth the drive. Hell, it would be worth a three-hour bike
ride from Westlake to get to Gumbo's because this place is gooooooooood!
My
dear friends in the Gonzo Gourmet Club and I descended on Gumbo's
not long ago and what a feast we had. Started with the chicken sausage
gumbo that really tasted like Gumbo. Beautiful. Lovely flavor and
not too heavy on the roux. Then we tried the shrimp etoufee. Now this
is some kind of etoufee. Great texture and not all tricked up like
you see in a lot of ersatz faux Louisiana kitchens.
The
Gonzo Gourmet Club embraces great food like a mother embraces her
newborn babe at first sight. Yet we are discriminating. We're rough
on pretenders. But Gumbo's delivers the goods. Their Fish St. George
is topped with crabmeat, lemon pepper flour and sautéed in beautiful
butter. This dish absolutely makes a statement. Wonderful taste. And
the blackened Black Angus tenderloin which is also topped with crabmeat
over a red wine pepper sauce is amazing. Tender, melt in your mouth
consistency. I highly recommend it.
But
the shrimp and crawfish pasta in a mushroom bacon garlic sauce is
just as good as it gets. This is a cream sauce and it should be a
relatively heavy dish. But it's not. It defies Cajun logic yet it
works beautifully. Also try the shrimp and crawfish pasta in a creamy
lemon caper tarragon sauce. As my dear Uncle Thibodeaux used to say,
"Dat's some serious eatin’."
Now,
before you go rushing off, all of you, this weekend, realize that
the pride of Round Rock has relatively limited seating. The intimate
atmosphere simply lends to the great mood that Gumbo's creates. So
don't all go at once. Pace yourselves. But go soon. And great news!
Gumbo's is opening up a new location at 8th and Colorado in downtown
Austin, on Monday, Jan. 17. Most entrees are in the $15 to $25 range,
and in my inestimable opinion, worth it.
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