Gordonville Grill: Class and sass with Cajun flair

On a quiet country road lies a cool old brick building reminiscent of the proud brick storefronts found in old downtowns everywhere. This building houses Gordonville Grill, a restaurant serving up good steakhouse eats with a sprinkle of Cajun cuisine since 2007.

First of all, the Gordonville Grill has a pretty great location. With tin ceiling tiles in the dining room, a large windowed front, with a separate sealed-in patio bar area, the design of the place is unique, antique and clean as a pin. If I'm not mistaken, the original wood floor still glows warmly in narrow planks. Please take the time to look at the original artwork on the walls. This is going to sound weird, but ladies, there's an awesome farm scene in the bathroom with a red barn and the light shining behind and through a large cloud that's worth looking at. I almost asked if it was for sale.

First, I ordered the Catfish Nuggets for an appetizer. On the menu, it was labeled as "Our Famous Catfish, " so of course I had to test out such a lofty claim. I was presented with a generous plateful of 2- and 3-inch slices of catfish fillets, cornmeal breading with tartar sauce on the side. The breading was crisp and flavorful, with an excellent seasoning and just enough salt. The fish was not at all strong as true catfish can sometimes be, but mild and white, flaky and steaming. I thoroughly enjoyed it and suspect that this will be a go-to when next I'm craving some fried fish.

For an appetizer, I ordered the Blackened Tilapia with Shrimp Cream Sauce. I realize that this was another fish order, but I really needed to try that cream sauce. As soon as I read it on the menu, I could almost taste it and hoped that it was as good as I was anticipating. The tilapia arrived blackened, which just means seasoned with a healthy layer of Cajun spices and cooked until flaky. It was on a bed of rice that had some attention given to it. Not just white rice, it was a delicious pilaf that I enjoyed. But on top of the tilapia was the most glorious, creamy, Parmesan cheesy, thick and rich sauce with large chunks of shrimp. The mild dairy of the sauce balanced out and tamed the Cajun seasoning on the tilapia, evening out what could have been an overwhelming amount of spice. A forkful of tilapia, rice, and shrimp dredged through the cream sauce almost made me say "Mmm" out loud. I squeezed the lemon wedge over the fish, and the bright citrus note was appreciated, adding a new depth to the whole thing. I ordered the side of green beans, and they were simple and pure, seasoned lightly with butter. Cooked just right, they were slightly firm but not crunchy, and I ate every single one.

The next time I visit, I'm going to order a steak. I don't usually crave steaks, but when I noticed that you can add the Shrimp Cream Sauce to any dish for an additional fee, you can bet that my mind started wondering what dish on the menu would most benefit from the addition. Surf and turf was the easy answer, and I believe that a hand-cut rib-eye or flat-iron steak would be amazing with a scoopful of that wonderful sauce.

Amaretto Bread Pudding from Gordonville Grill, rich and warm like a hug.Submitted by Rebecca LaClair

For dessert, I was tempted by the warm blackberry cobbler with homemade vanilla ice cream, but instead had to go with the Amaretto bread pudding. I'm a sucker for Amaretto; that super sweet almond liquor has a flavor like no other. Gordonville Grill's bread pudding is not too moist, not swimming in a sauce or drowning in a topping. It was full of cinnamon flavor and Amaretto, dark and sweet. Warm and simple, there were no fillers, letting the delicately seasoned bread stand on its own. The topping was a thick cream cheese base, not too sweet. It was a good complement to the bread, rich and dairy. It was a good end to a rich meal, full of soft and gentle flavors that was warm and comforting and good.

Gordonville Grill can be found at 829 State Hwy. Z in Gordonville.