Pier 19 Revisted...and Better! Followed by New Treasures!

My reviews of Pier 19, in the past, have been up and down.  It's always a nice place for a good bay-front meal...view-wise.  However, I've had a few problems with service and quality... mixed in with good.  Last time I decided I would not be returning.  My husband, however, not having experienced as much of the bad, requested to go there today for lunch while we were out and about doing errands.

I'm happy to report, that today, being a gorgeous sunny day for the first time in dayyyssss, we decided to take that chance (it's been over a year since I've been there).  I must say the service was exceptional (our server Sheila was very attentive), the shrimp baskets, which we all ordered, were filled with deliciousness, and the dessert they were showing around looked scrumptious.  Since I'll be baking this afternoon, I waived THAT away!

A manager stopped by the table to ensure all was well (yay), and I was happy to report it was delicious.  Still, in my opinion, one of the best places EVER for onion rings!  Additionally, the shrimp they are using are MUCH improved over the last time I had a shrimp basket there. 

They have added a bowl of coleslaw to the basket and it was surprisingly quite good.  It had broccoli in with the cabbage and carrot, which I thoroughly enjoyed and the mayo-based sauce had just enough sweet and tart balance to make me a happy girl.  A couple of hush puppies rounded it all off to make an excellent Shrimp Basket.  Our sodas were kept refilled, I got extra tartar sauce quickly, and the place was packed!

We get tired of shrimp (what?  Yes, it's true, living on the coast, we get tired of shrimp) but today we all ordered shrimp baskets.  We all walked out stuffed, and not one of us could finish it all.  I'm glad my hubby convinced me to give it another go.  I was pleased!

Like us, I bet visitors, locals, and obviously lots of Winter Texans were out enjoying the sunshine and the lovely bay views, pelicans, ducks, and shore birds surrounding Pier 19.  Their location on the bay, on a pier jutting out into the bay, provides a really nice place for a meal or a drink.  They often have live music, although not at lunch today.  We really enjoy when they do.

Good job, Pier 19, for bringing the quality up to what I had enjoyed back when you first opened and it was one of our favorites.  I'll be back soon to make sure it's not an anomaly...but it seems like a good team at the restaurant is making for a successful venue once again!

Yay!


Now, for the treasures...
When we were leaving our condo complex, my husband says "hey, look at that bird"...there was a good-sized egret walking, almost stalking, behind the condos by the parking lot...I've seen them fly into the center of the complex before, but had not seen one hunting in the grass...and that is what it looked like he or she was doing.  Sure enough, the bird went behind the shrubs and caught a lizard!  Well, that hacked my husband off...and he was holding the camera (on my cell phone) and he didn't shoot the photo where the egret lifted its wings in triumph and shook the lizard and started the swallowing.  We nearly had a fight over it.  He likes lizards.  They eat bugs.  Oh brother.  I said I was okay with a few less lizards because in the summer we have some that look like they are from Jurassic Park - they jump and lunge when you go by and they have literally raced me up the stairs trying to get into my condo.  I like the ones on my deck but the Jurassic Park dudes are way too fast and too many.  I hope the egret ate one of those!  I count this encounter as a treasure, because I love these birds!

The bay is on the other side of this building

Got it...

Tenderizing before swallowing

Next, we went to get Mr. Flip Flop and the teen a haircut with James at Virginia's Hair Salon.  With all the Winter Texans in town, you have to get an appointment in advance!  I dropped them off and shopped for a bit at The Rusty Pelican.  I bought some birthday cards and a little sign to add to the rest of the signage in the hallway by our entry door. 

The teen doesn't like the sign - he says "do you have ANY IDEA how hard it is to get sand out of your shoes Mom?  Why would you think that was good?"  Uh, no, smarty pants, I have NO IDEA how much trouble it is to get sand out of your shoes...I wear freaking FLIP FLOPS 99% of the days of my life now.  I just wash them off at the outside faucet :-)))))

My final treasure comes from Etsy.  I was looking online for some sea horse cookie cutters and wanted to see if Etsy had listed any decorated sea horse cookies for sale.  I'm always shocked at how much people will pay for decorated sugar cookies!  No sea horse cookies to be found...but when I broadened my search, I found these gorgeous earrings that I just fell in love with.  I don't often buy jewelry for myself.  It's a real rarity in fact.  These stole my heart.  They are an artistic rendition of a mermaid riding a sea horse in the ocean...and it has beautiful filigree around it and a scallop shell hanging off the bottom.  The back of the earrings are almost as beautiful as the front, lots of filigree there as well.  So, anyway, and I hope no one is offended by this comment, my husband looks at them and says "for you that's like wearing the Virgin Mary on your ears I guess".  I knew what he meant - the ocean is magical and mysterious to me and gives me a spiritual feeling of well-being when I'm near it.  So, yes, I guess that is true to an extent.  Whatever, I just love them!

Hard to get a clear shot on my ears...but you get the idea.

Better shot of front and back of earring on my hand...I just LOVE them!!!!

OK - that's it for today.  Hope everyone is having a wonderful Saturday before Valentine's Day.  I'm sure enjoying it!  Now, off to the kitchen for baking...both my men are having an after-fried-food-lunch nap.  I'll have to do some kitchen Zumba to keep my motor running!

Bon Appetit, Y'all!