Eats

Dish of the Day: Johnson's Boucaniere's gumbo

by Elizabeth Rose

The ideal meal for a day like today.

Today, the conditions are ripe for a gumbo-and-boudin meal. The weather is gloomy with a slight chill, many of us are feeling that slight soreness in the backs of our throats and, well, anytime you drive downtown it's difficult not to smell the smoker hard at work.

Johnson's gumbo tastes like there's a lot of love that went into it. The roux is dark and soothes a sore throat better than Chloraseptic, and the spice isn't overwhelming but will clear the sinuses if you have the sniffles. It's not uncommon to have an entire chicken breast in your bowl, and it's tender enough to cut with your spoon - as it should be. If that's not enough to convince you, then maybe the homemade sausage is.

Grab a bowl for lunch along with a link of boudin (it's only $1.78 per link, so why not?). It's not an ideal day to sit outside, but picking up an order is encouraged. Call 269-8878 and tell the wonderful people there what you would like. I hope it includes at least a cup of gumbo.

Photo by Nick Arcuri

Johnson's Boucaniere is located at 1111 St. John St. downtown. It is open today until 6 p.m.