Yup, you read that right…the culinary delights of steamy New Orleans right in the dusty heart of Spain… who’d have thunk it?!
So, Saturday night, my pals Carmen and Olga hauled me into Madrid to check out this restaurant called Gumbo. Not the most original name, granted, but I shall forgive them, because the service was so good, it almost made me forget that I was in Spain!
Carmen had eaten at this place before and survived, so we knew it was unlikely to be a disaster. We hadn’t booked a table and we were really lucky to get in…
Any guesses as to what we had for our first starter?

Fried green tomatoes, what else?! Olga’s allergic to tomatoes, so she was forced to pass on those, but she mopped up the 1000-calories-a-droplet sauce with great gusto.

Our second starter: Baked mussels, all lovely and cheesy 🙂 Could have done with a tad less salt, perhaps, but otherwise perfect.

Carmen and I both opted for the jambalaya for our mains. Just look at those glorious blackened giant prawns perched on top of the rice (which had quite a kick to it, let me tell you!)
Olga had a beef dish with creamy mashed potatoes. The meat was as flavourful as it was tender, but, unfortunately, it didn’t rank as the most photogenic of entrees. You can just about make out a glimpse of it in the back.

Dessert…? Absolutely! Banoffee pie. It had to be. A more humble (but not at all bad) carrot cake in the background.
Would we go back there?
Hell, YES!!!
[Here’s the link to Gumbo’s website, in case you want to check it out for yourself.]
Believe it or not but I have never had Cajun food in all my time in the US. I think I would like the spice palate but I also associate Cajun with shrimp and crawfish, and I HATE those with a fiery passion.
LikeLike
Aw, of course… you and your seafood aversion 😉 But there’s plenty of other glorious fried(!!!) stuff!
LikeLike
Come on, I love fish! And crabcakes 🙂
LikeLike
Well, put Cajun on your Miami list, then! Unless you’re already planning an unauthorised sojourn to Louisiana 😉
LikeLike
hahaha nah too lazy
LikeLike
This neighbourhood is MALASAÑA, very trendy and full of good restaurants! I´m glad you liked it.
LikeLike
I did 🙂 And I shall be back in that part of town, oh yes! Thanks!
LikeLike
Mussels yummy.
LikeLike
Banoffee pie is Cajun? Actually, I had to look it up. Seems a bit like banana cream pie.
LikeLike
I don’t think carrot cake is either… isn’t that an Australian invention…?
LikeLike
I looked it up. Wikipedia says carrots were used in cakes to make them sweet during the medieval period, and then had a revival in WWII Britain because of sugar shortages. I remember carrot cake from my childhood as well, in the early 70s. With plenty of cream cheese frosting!
LikeLike
Ah, thanks for that! I was too lazy, lol.
I also love courgette cake 🙂 Zucchini to you.
LikeLike
Yes, so moist!
LikeLike
I am going to keep a list of places to see and things to do in case we ever switch cities! LOL
LikeLike
Like your commute isn’t already long enough! 😉
LikeLike
At the moment, I much prefer to live where you are! LOL
LikeLike
The Banoffee pie looks yummy. I have never tasted it. I did taste cajun food while I lived in New Orleans 🙂
LikeLike
You better get yourself some, before there’s a world shortage. ….caused by me 😉
LikeLike
I love Madrid! Great photos it all looks amazing.
LikeLike
I think someone is warming towards Madrid… 😉 Or at least defrosting a little 😉
LikeLike
Food does that to me…
LikeLike