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| - I recently had my first experience here after the restaurant's conversion from the old Courthouse Cafe, and was pleased opening with a bowl of hot and savory Chicken & Sausage Gumbo, in which a large amount of rice resided to help absorb the several spices present. Then, although this was probably enough food to provide a full meal for most diners, in order to be able to pen a more robust restaurant review I nevertheless moved on to an Orleans Clubhouse Sandwich.
The Orleans Clubhouse Sandwich here needs to be distinguished from its close cousin, the Chicken Clubhouse Sandwich, which is also on the menu. My Orleans Club, packed with both ham and bacon, Smoked Gouda Cheese, lettuce, tomato, and some mayo, on lightly toasted bread, almost did me in. Fresh and tasty as it was, it was comprised of four very large, toothpicked together sandwich sections. At first I removed a toothpick to eat what I thought was a section, only to learn that I had not drilled down low enough, leaving a crucial part behind on the plate. Once properly holding a complete sandwich section in my hand and after aiming it upward to bite down on with my teeth, I was barely able to get my mouth around the whole length. It took awhile, but eventually I finished the entire sandwich, although I hardly needed to. And it was very satisfying, served with good skin-on Fries and fresh strands of cabbage that joined together to fashion a cool Slaw.
A bowl of Oxtail Soup overflowing with big clumps of oxtail meat was ordered by my poker-playing friend visiting from Texas, and he pronounced it to be very tasty. It quickly became clear to me that, even more than the Gumbo, the Oxtail Soup here is designed to furnish a complete solo meal. I will keep this in mind when giving it a try myself in the future.
The brightened room has a nice new look, and faux leather seating was comfortable. Service was good, except for slow bringing of food to the table after production of the Gumbo. But, in fairness to the cooks and waitstaff, we were dining during the 12 o'clock lunch hour, and just about every seat in the room was occupied.
A noticeable improvement over the old coffee shop!
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