Clarence's Taste of New Orleans |
|
| 2131 Old Edgewood Road | |
| Edgewood, MD 21040 | |
| 410-612-0700 | |
|
Hours:
11 a.m.- 11 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday 11 a.m.- midnight Friday 4 p.m.-midnight Saturday 4 p.m.-11 p.m. Sunday closed Monday | |
| What's nearby: | |
By Karen Nitkin
Special to the Sun
Originally published on Aug. 10, 2006
Clarence's Taste of New Orleans serves up exuberant Crescent City cuisine that practically pummels your taste buds with flavor. Chef and owner Clarence Hill, a New Orleans native, believes that if a little spice is good, more is better.
Unfortunately, these days, any mention of New Orleans brings to mind Hurricane Katrina, one of the great tragedies of our time. But this ramshackle little restaurant, tucked into an easy-to-miss corner of Edgewood, is a happy place.
Hill, who learned to cook in New Orleans restaurants, working his way up from dishwasher to chef, left his hometown in 2005, before Hurricane Katrina roared through. He opened the Edgewood restaurant in December.
Clarence's Taste of New Orleans celebrates the Crescent City with details such as Mardi Gras beads on the table (next to the bottles of Tabasco) and a menu of traditional fare such as Creole shrimp, catfish, gumbo and red beans and rice.
Hill also serves Maryland dishes such as crab cakes, crab pretzels and even bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwiches. We stuck to the New Orleans dishes, which are still fairly hard to find in the Baltimore region.
Jambalaya, one of the all-time great culinary concoctions, comes in two versions: regular ($10.95), a rich stew of rice, onions, tomatoes and garlicky andouille sausage, and supreme ($12.50), which adds shrimp and tasso ham. We tried the supreme and found our tongues tingling from the spicy flavors, all working together to create an explosion of deliciousness in our mouths.
Clarence's has a way with shrimp. Even the ones mixed in the jambalaya are perfectly tender and impeccably fresh tasting. And they shine even more in dishes like the shrimp remoulade appetizer ($7.25), when they are bathed in a creamy sauce tasting subtly of mustard and lemons.
Another over-the-top extravaganza was the oyster po'boy ($10.55), a giant sandwich piled with oysters fried in an incredibly crispy, grease-free batter. Inside these crunchy golf balls, the oysters retained a true depths-of-the-sea flavor. About a dozen were nestled into French bread, along with lettuce and tomatoes. Unfortunately, the french fries served alongside were limp and lackluster.
Though Hill clearly likes his spices, he can also be subtle when necessary. Details such as warm, yeasty bread served with appetizers and a green salad with a housemade honey Cajun dressing show he can do more than toss around the bold flavors.
A cool cucumber soup on special the night we were there ($3.55 for a cup) boasted a mild tanginess. And grilled catfish ($14.95) was perfectly moist and subtly seasoned, so the fresh flavor of the fish could shine. Like many entrees, the catfish comes with two sides. Don't miss the delectable red beans and rice, which taste even better with an extra shot of vinegar.
Desserts include a bread pudding ($5.25), a warm and decadent mass of sweetness that tastes of Christmas and swims in a sweet whiskey sauce. There's always a special dessert, too, and during our visit it was a skippable concoction of apple slices, vanilla ice cream and banana liquor ($4.95).
The inside of Clarence's is decidedly casual. A bar takes up fully half the space, and the smell of cigarette smoke occasionally wafts into the dining area. The off-the-beaten-path location, delicious food and great prices all add up to a culinary find that's worth the drive.
Ratings:
Food: ***
Service: ***
Atmosphere: ** 1/2
Rating system: Outstanding: ****; Good ***; Fair or uneven **; Poor *
