THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 27, 1996 TAG: 9610250189
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 02 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: ON THE TOWN IN PORTSMOUTH
TYPE: RESTAURANT REVIEW
LENGTH: 86 lines
Owner Robert Connery has done a good job of making the new Thumper's Downtown Bar & Grille match its historical setting in the 19th century Pythian Castle building on the corner of Court and County streets.
Wood wainscoting along the interior walls complements the U-shaped bar, which is separated from the small dining room by a chest-high wooden partition, granting diners a quiet haven from what should be an active after-work bar scene. The walls offer firefighting memorabilia, antique photographs, posters and other eye-candy, and the mix - if somewhat reminiscent of a smaller version of a Bennigan's - works well enough.
What was surprising to me was the Cajun flavor of the menu at Thumper's. Spices abound on the appetizer menu, from Buffalo Shrimp (with Roquefort cheese and celery, $5.50) to fried gator bites ($5.50). You can order popcorn shrimp, Cajun-style ($5.95), Louisiana-style shrimp remoulade ($5.50), or a black bean and cheese or mesquite chicken quesadilla ($5.95).
We tried Cajun popcorn ($4.95), a heaping serving of batter-fried crawfish tails, slightly spicy, and served with a cooling remoulade sauce ($4.95), very good, and a much larger serving than I expected. Our stuffed jalapenos, inch-long hot peppers stuffed with crab meat and almost enough cream cheese to staunch the fiery taste ($5.50) were real eye-openers.
A calmer palate might have called for chicken tenders ($4.95), stuffed mushrooms ($5.95) or a Caesar ($4.50) or a Greek salad ($4.75). Soups include gumbo ($4.75) or jambalaya, the Cajun dish of rice and tomato, onions, peppers and spices, usually made with chunks of meat and/or shellfish ($4.25/$6.95).
The sandwich menu offers a French dip with jack cheese and French onion soup for dipping; a Philly cheese steak, or chicken and cheese with mushrooms and onions; grilled pastrami and cheese, or smoked turkey and cheese; an Andouille sausage with grilled peppers, onions and jack cheese; an Italian sub, with ham, salami, pepperoni, provolone cheese and fixin's; or a Thumper's burger with lettuce, tomato and cheese. All are $4.95 and come with a choice of fries or pasta salad.
Other sandwiches include a grilled, blackened or jerked chicken sandwich, with cheese ($5.95), a turkey burger ($4.25), and a market-priced fresh fish sandwich.
There are market-priced steamed shrimp, crabs and oysters; and pizza, including a Greek pie with spinach pesto, tomatoes, olives and feta cheese; a Cajun, with Andouille sausage and shrimp; and a Mediterranean, with artichokes and shrimp ($5.25 for an 8-inch pizza, $10.50 for a 12-inch).
Entrees include shrimp scampi over rice or pasta ($8.95), regular or Cajun-style; Caribbean chicken and shrimp over pasta, with tomatoes, artichoke hearts and Parmesan cheese ($10.95); a grilled fish of the day with a shrimp salsa ($11.95); Teriyaki chicken and shrimp over rice ($9.95); a 10-ounce New York strip with grilled onions and mushrooms ($10.95); and a filet mignon with grilled mushrooms ($11.95), among others.
There are also a number of daily specials, and my wife Julie chose from them an oyster sandwich ($5.50), consisting of a large bun, overloaded with lightly breaded, plump oysters with lettuce, tomato and sliced onion on the side, as well as a nondescript pasta salad that proved to be the only disappointment of the meal.
Continuing in the Cajun mode, I ordered what I thought would be a light complement to the Cajun crawfish we already had enjoyed. The red beans and rice with Andouille sausage ($5.50) proved to be such a large serving that it could easily stand as a complete meal. I expected chunks of sausage in the slightly spicy red beans and rice mix but was stunned to see a 6-inch sausage flayed open across the beans and rice. Don't get me wrong. It was a pleasant surprise and enjoyable to the last bite, but by the time we finished there was no room to sample the homemade desserts boasted on the menu, nor space for a cup of latte, espresso or cappuccino.
The moral of the story. When you go to Thumper's, be it in downtown Portsmouth or the Elizabeth City location, take your appetite. The prices are pleasing, portions are large and the surroundings pleasant. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by SAM MARTINETTE
Robert Connery includes Cajun dishes on the menu in a historical
setting at Thumpers.
Graphic
AT A GLANCE
Thumper's Downtown Bar & Grille: Pythian Castle, County and Court
streets, 399-1024.
Food: Steaks, seafood, sandwiches, pizza and pasta, many dishes
with a Cajun influence; full ABC.
Prices: Appetizers and sandwiches in the $5 to $6 range, entrees
$8 to $12, specials daily.
Hours: 11 a.m. to 2 a.m., Monday through Thursday; noon to 2 a.m.
Saturday and Sunday. by CNB