House of Blues food hits right notes

May 13, 2009|Devra First, Globe Staff

When the main draw is music, how good can the food be? At the House of Blues restaurant on Lansdowne Street, the answer is: better than required for a place many will visit for convenience's sake. It may not bring people to the neighborhood specifically to eat, but if you're seeing a show next door or heading to a game, this is a fine place to seek sustenance.

The menu reads as if someone accidentally plugged in the latitude for New Orleans and the longitude for Boston, then navigated to some "Lost"-ian in-between land; the stress of the situation then made them crave comfort food. You'll find catfish, po' boys, and jambalaya. You'll find Boston baked beans, clam chowder, and Maine lobster rolls. And you'll find burgers, pizza, and steak. Rather than a hodgepodge, it comes across as a regional salute. Many of these dishes are found on House of Blues menus nationwide, but not the likes of the New England seafood bake; it's as if the food of Louisiana pulled Yankee fare onstage to play a few songs, a gesture of friendship and respect. Executive chef Tindaro LoSurdo is from around here, so these are his culinary traditions, too.

Creole and Cajun dishes don't offer the to-die-for deliciousness of the versions you'll find in situ, and that could probably go without saying. But the knockoffs evoke the originals pleasantly; just because you're not on the trip doesn't mean you're not glad to get the postcard. "Voodoo shrimp" won't conjure any spirits, but the appetizer is more interesting than standard bar food. The shrimp are pan-seared and served with chunks of corn bread in a buttery, herb-tinged sauce made with Sam Adams. The sauce is on the sweet side.

Also more interesting are catfish nuggets, crispy, golden bites of fish. Work your way through the pile and you discover a little cache of sweet potato fries hiding beneath. The "spicy" tartar sauce alongside could be spicier.

Gumbo here is underwhelming (particularly if a home-cooked version you ate at a friend's Mardi Gras gathering still lingers in your mind, as it does mine). Our cup is served only a little bit above room temperature, which doesn't help; chunks of chicken and shrimp are overcooked. Still, there's a nice flavor to it from file, or powdered sassafras.

Jambalaya is better, served again with shrimp and chicken, with a good, smoky flavor from andouille. It's savory but could use more heat. Cajun meatloaf tastes more like soup mix than Cajun spices, but it's a filling serving with mushroom gravy and buttery mashed potatoes. On a recent night, the unspecified "vegetables" that come with many of the dishes are universally broccoli. It's bright green and still has a bit of crunch, a welcome bit of nutrition thrown into the mix of burgers and pizza.