Dining: Gumbo's Seafood Restaurant

Chef Amr brings Gumbo's back to Crescent City roots

By Dale Rice
American-Statesman Restaurant Critic
Web posted: Nov. 10, 2004

When Michael Amr, the founding chef of Gumbo's, moved back into the restaurant this year, he began retooling many of the dishes that had changed while the eatery was under corporate control.

One that received a complete makeover was the bread pudding. Unlike the traditional confections made with large chunks of bread held together by a custard, this wedge of pudding ($5.95) was finely textured, as though it has been made with bread crumbs. It is now a unique form of that classical New Orleans dessert, one that takes inspiration from the Cajun-Creole influence that dominates Amr's cooking.

It also exemplifies Amr's philosophy that has permeated all his restaurants: hearty portions with over-the-top flavor for reasonable prices, which makes Gumbo's one of the best fine-dining values in the area.

Photo by Robert Godwin for AA-S Chef Michael Amr brings the tastes of Louisiana to Austin with dishes such as seafood-stuffed rainbow trout, top left, and oysters Rockefeller, bottom left. Eating in the mezzanine, right, offers a great view of Gumbo's. Gumbo's 710 Colorado St. (512) 480-8053 Hours: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mondays-Fridays, 5:30 to 10 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays, 5:30 to 11 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays Credit cards: Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, Diners Wheelchair access: Yes Wine: 20 by the glass ($5-$12.50), 75 by the bottle ($19-$175) Rating: Nov. 11, 2004 Reviews: • Gumbo's • El Zunzal More In Restaurants: • Complete Restaurant Reviews • Austin360 Foodie Board • Girl Walks Into A Bar

The barbecued shrimp ($7.95), coated in a Cajun-spiced red sauce, were served with large, thick triangles of fried polenta that were crisp on the outside and almost creamy in the center.

They were good, but the oysters Rockefeller ($9.95) left them in the dust.

The oysters, one of Amr's original recipes, came on the half shell in a rusty pie pan filled with rock salt, immediately reminding me of several places in and near the Crescent City. There the reminiscence ended. Although these six oysters were baked with spinach, the filling was flavored with Pernod, which added a strong licorice element. And, in a big bonus, each of the baked oysters was topped with a fried oyster, doubling the enjoyment. I learned to make the traditional oysters Rockefeller at a cooking school in New Orleans. These had them beat by a mile.

For the main course, the pork tenderloin ($19.95) delivered a generous serving of thick, tender slices of meat that had been well spiced. The pork was served with mashed sweet potatoes flavored with tasso ham and topped with a mound of crisp sweet potato strings.

The stuffed rainbow trout ($17.95) was split and filled with a zesty shrimp-crawfish stuffing that was as much seafood as breading. It was accompanied by mashed rosemary potatoes that were lightly scented with the pungent herb and a baked tomato stuffed with spinach.

From our vantage point, we could watch those dishes being cooked and finished in the kitchen. We were seated on the mezzanine, a spot high above the main dining floor that turned out to be surprisingly conducive to conversation (the background noise of a packed dining room didn't even force us to raise our voices).

While it provided a great perch to watch the crowd and the kitchen, the location did not adversely affect the attentive service, which was prompt and efficient despite the fact that our server was constantly traveling the stairs between kitchen and tables.

Seated near the back as we were (a location that can be requested when making a reservation), we could observe the careful preparation of each plate, including wiping the wide rims to eliminate any food smudges or messy fingerprints. Even from that distance we could tell that each dessert would be big enough to share (although three young, svelte women and their male companion below us had no problem putting away one each).

The chocolate custard ($5.95) -- similar to a very large, individual flan -- was smooth, creamy and rich in chocolate taste. It and the bread pudding were a scrumptious finish to the meal.

You can count on Amr to plunk Louisiana down in the heart of Austin.