Estelle's: The New Kid on the Block Will Make Friends Quickly!

All smiles and ready to sample Chef Gburski's creations

Opening night at Estelle's was a success!  East Coast Grill alum, Chef Eric Gburski and Chef Brian Poe opened to a full house.  The energy was tangible as Chef Poe worked the front of the house spreading his Southern charm amongst us.  Chef Gburski worked diligently at the open kitchen in the back.  Later in the evening Chef Poe was sure to introduce Chef Gburski to us and others throughout the dining room.  This dynamic duo seems to be a match made in culinary heaven, charm and talent goes a very long way.

Chef Gburski and Kitchen Staff hard at work!

We decided to sit at the bar with a view of most of the dining room space.  We had tons of fun with the knowledgeable staff.  Dan and Hailey even introduced me (a non-beer drinker) to one beer I may actually order again- Sweaty Betty: a blond beer with banana and baking spice undertones.  Estelle's also has Heineken on tap, which I hear is a rarity.  In preparation for what was sure to be a hefty meal, I ordered a glass of smoky, dark cherry-laden Kaiken Malbec and settled into my stool to scope the scene and enjoy dinner.

The Bar, boasting Poe's signature impressive selection of beers on tap

With a great deal of Gulf Coast faves which transported me back to my 9 years in Southeast Alabama and surrounding areas,  I found it difficult to choose a simple meal....so we tried several!

Starters:
 
We started off strong with the spicy smoked chicken liver deviled eggs sprinkled with cayenne pepper.

  
They were like no other deviled egg I've had before.  These little guys packed some serious heat!  The richness and smoky flavor imparted by the chicken liver really elevated what we traditionally think of deviled eggs.   

To keep our friendship intact, instead of fighting over or even splitting the third and final egg, we ordered up another round!

Hailey (our bartender) asks:  "Like your mama's deviled eggs?"  We responded: "Absolutely not!"
 

Spicy smoked chicken liver deviled eggs

The hushpuppies, unfortunately did not have the same mesmerizing effect.  I found them to be slightly more dense with a more coarse meal than I'd like, making for a dry puppy, but I thought the bacon was a nice touch.  The orange-chile honey was beautiful and the creamy chive butter, interesting.

Bacon hush puppies with orange-chile honey, and chive butter

Traditional andouille sausage & smoked chicken gumbo

The gumbo has a nice nutty roux and good flavor.  It was long on content with perfectly cooked veg and meat, but short on heat..  The rice was slightly underdone, but not worries there...we were ready to dive into a few fabulous entrees.

Plates:

Note:  I don't usually order fried chicken when out, but I trust these gents a bit so I went for it and was not the least bit disappointed.

Buttermilk fried chicken with sausage gravy, bacon mac n' cheese, and greens

Chef's buttermilk fried chicken was served with bacon mac n' cheese and sauteed greens. The crispy chicken was smothered in a well-seasoned sausage gravy.  Absolutely delicious!  

The mac n' cheese was creamy with tender pasta and a crisp topping.  It was full of savory bacon lardons.
I loved the bitterness of the greens, not lost to boiling. 
 

Braised duck leg and fried oyster etouffee over white rice

Way lighter etouffee than I've had in and outside of N'awlins, this dish was an interesting mix of Classic French and French Creole/Southern with a show of tender braised duck leg and plump fried oysters.  The Sauce Creole was delicious and added nice acidity to this solid dish with its sliced tomato, onion, and chopped herbs.

Cajun cornmeal crusted catfish with pecan-parsley relish, garlic seared greens & red beans n’ rice

The cornmeal coated fried catfish had a crisp, golden coat over fresh, flaky, light and moist fish within.  
The greens were topped with a very interesting pecan-parsley relish made delicately spicy with chopped purple onion.  The relish was one of the most intriguing flavor combinations I've experienced in a garnish lately and I struggled to find a familiar flavor profile in my taste memory box.  There was a flicker of a faded memory of such a condiment but with coconut.  I still can't place it, but I enjoyed it very much.

Amazing, smoky-sweet, tender grilled jumbo gulf white shrimp were served with a point of seared jalapeño grit cake in New Orleans BBQ sauce and sprinkled with crunchy, spiced corn nuts (which were a pleasant textural surprise).

 
The BBQ sauce was a perfect symphony of savory, spicy, peppery notes- not so powerful as to draw attention away from the succulent shrimp, but definitely making its presence known.

I'm excited about the arrival of Estelle's and glad that Chef Gburski will be spending some time with us on this side of the river.

Po' boys and the newly announced weekend brunch are next on my list of must tries at Estelle's and maybe I can be coaxed into trying more beer.

Estelle's Southern Cuisine
782 Tremont Street at Mass Ave
Boston (South End)   

 **Interview with Chef Brian Poe**