Friday Microgump: Lunde's is a Contender

A small unit of Gumpers pulled off a surprise sneak attack on Lunde's (downtown, first floor of the Bell Building), which got a great unsanctioned review early last month from Shadow Pup, head of LITG's elite K-9 Corps. Mimi Furst, FTR and I had some bidness to tend to Friday and I still had a bad taste in my mouth from Monday's trip to Wintzell's, so we agreed on Lunde's. Very good call, as it turned out.

Shadow Pup is a reliable reviewer, but his judgment can be clouded by his sudden urges, like when he suddenly has to go hump a leg or needs to mark his turf. He likes to sniff butts, although we try not to tease him about that. Shadow Pup also saved Tojo Yamamoto from a bad experience at a local Chinese place, too. It seems Shadow Pup smelled a relative in the walk-in. You've gotta trust Shadow Pup's sniffer. But I digress.

Going stark raving mad for properly-cooked seafood with some pizazz, and remembering Shadow Pup's lengthy but informative review of Lunde's. We tried it. WE SHOOT, WE SCORE!!

I went with an old favorite - Shrimp Ettouffe. Outstanding, spiciness level just *barely* below where I like it with only a couple of drops of Tabasco needed to get it perfect. This is key... cajun cooking is like getting a haircut. You can't uncut hair and you don't want your food too hot from the get-go. The shrimp were like baby bear's porridge -- just right. Fresh, good-sized, plentiful and perfectly cooked, i.e., they were the last ingredients added to the ettouffe.

Mimi had the blackened Tilapia and seemed very compatible with it. FTR went with a steak po-boy (hmm, interesting... it was dripping with gravy... he ate it with a fork... very nice he said... he didn't share... well okay then).

Anyway, I am suggesting we Gump this place hard, because not only was the food damn good, it was a great value. But I can't put it into words so I will just let the annotated lunch tab make like a Larry Puckett customer and do the talking for me. Check this out: