Guests Still Here!

I'm going to give a brief post with restaurant updates - whenever you have company, you end up in a lot of restaurants!

Pirates Landing, June 28, 2011
After a wonderful morning with Scarlet Colley doing a dolphin watch, we descended on Pirate's Landing so my son could have his mandatory Shrimp Po'boy.  We had an exceptional waitress named Jennie and she "ta da" brought us fresh hot rolls (see previous post).  She said it is not the standard but she likes to do it.  Guess I can't count on it, but it was a great way to take the edge off of the hunger!  The orders were Shrimp Po-boys (on their homemade bread), Fried Fish Po-boy (huge portions), the teen's requisite burger and waffle fries, and the grandkids got chicken strips and a grilled cheese.  Everyone raved that their food was awesome, and I concurred.  Pirate's Landing is back in my good graces!



Shrimp Haus, June 29, 2011
During the strong rain storm (an outer band of TS Arlene), we took shelter at Shrimp Haus since we were spending the day at Schlitterbahn Water Park.  We were chilled from the strong wind and I had a great cup of chili chicken soup (a spicy broth, generous chunks of chicken, corn, cilantro), and an appetizer of "Bahnditos" which were like a chimechanga...burrito sized tortillas wrapping up shrimp, cheese, peppers, and other goodies...then deep fried.  Served with a spicy mayonnaise for dipping, it was pretty darn good!  The eldest had shrimp ceviche with fresh tortilla chips...he said the chips were stale so that was a misnomer.  The shrimp ceviche was "pretty good" he said.  My middle son's fish tacos were thumbs down.  The grandkids had a kid's meal pizza and a chicken strips meal - both were good they said.  The teen had...you guessed it, hamburger and fries.



Dirty Al's Pelican Station, Port Isabel, June 30, 2011
Awesome food, rotten service.  Either our waiter was spread too thin or he just was inattentive.  We sat with empty drinks for some time and he didn't stop back to see if we needed any condiments after the food was served so my son's food got cold as he waited for someone to come so he could get some Dirty Al's sauce for his shrimp platter.  We had fried calamari and the Mexican Shrimp Cocktail (again with the packaged crackers which made me unwrap about 10 packages!).  The food was really good.  The oldest son tried to get a margarita with no sweet and sour...but our waiter couldn't seem to grasp the concept so that was less than optimal again, in the service arena.



Bayside Cafe and Deli, Laguna Vista, July 1, 2011
The oldest son and I went for a late breakfast - he said it's not a trip to Mom's house without eating at "Sandy's place".  He went wade fishing all morning out in the bay in front of the condo and was starving when he came in.  I had dropped the teen off to work at the Sea Life Center and so we headed over to the cafe for a basic breakfast - eggs, bacon/sausage, hash browns, toast/biscuits, coffee/juice.  We both inhaled our food in about 15 minutes and sighed happily.  Thumbs up for the local joint!



Wanna Wanna, July 1, 2011
We walked down the beach and stopped at Wanna Wanna for some nachos and drinks.  My oldest son had a delicious margarita on the rocks.  So many places use sweet and sour in their margaritas...which he doesn't like...and they used lime juice with the triple sec and tequila.  I sipped it and it WAS very good.  The nachos were crisp and generous...the teen and I just had soft drinks.  Very pleasant sitting on the outdoor deck by the ocean.



Grapevine Cafe, July 2, 2011
The oldest, the youngest, and I all went for breakfast at Grapevine this morning.  Grumpy teen made the atmosphere tense, but the food was outstanding and the service was fast and efficient.  Nice.
The teen had thick French toast with a side of bacon, and it looked delicious.  The elder had eggs ranchero with refries, homemade tortillas, an extra side of bacon and hashbrowns, and fresh squeezed orange juice.  He was a totally happy camper.  I had a fresh fruit, granola, and yogurt parfait which was delicious, as usual, and I had a side of bacon and a cup of Pura Vida coffee...strong but good.



Other than that, we've made spaghetti at home, homemade pizzas from the dough I prepped, pigs in a blanket for breakfast, and a traditional eggs, sausage, and biscuits breakfast another morning.  The elder son grilled some dynamite steaks last night at my friend Ann's house.  We had grilled purple onion and bacon-wrapped grilled asparagus to go with them.  Their dog, Nelson, thoroughly enjoyed the porterhouse bone and has become best buds with my older son.  Outstanding meal, with fresh sweetened strawberries over angel food cake with whipped cream for dessert...can you say waddle, waddle???

That's the food report...it's going great so far...it's 4th of July week-end, the island is hopping, and the weather has cleared up and is great!  The only down side is lots of sargassum on the beach from TS Arlene and still having very high tides thanks to the tropical storm as well.  Still, no place I'd rather be!

Bon Appetit, Y'all!!!

Bayside Deli - Laguna Vista

Bayside Deli.... is not a deli. 

It is, however, a neighborhood joint that is filled with locals and workers. They have limited hours - closing after lunch - to reopen for dinner and other restricted operating hours. They have daily specials on a white board and I hear the Friday night Prime Rib is pretty good.  When we moved here in 2008, it was the first place we went to eat because it was just down the road and we were exhausted from unpacking.  They made us feel welcome to the neighborhood.  Over the years I have stopped in for bakery goods in the morning (great muffins and cinnamon rolls) and enjoyed breakfast with friends and family, as well as lunch on many occasions.  Dinner on only a couple of instances...it's more of a breakfast/lunch place for me.

Friday I met my lady friends there for a late lunch.  I generally go for the lunch special (they have a meat, usually 2 sides, fresh baked roll, and a simple dessert  - yummy) but the Friday special was/usually is catfish and I wasn't in the mood.  Instead I had a tuna sandwich on a fresh croissant with a side of Lay's Potato Chips and a pickle spear.  I cleaned my plate.  It was delicious!  I've also had, over the years, a Mexican plate, the spaghetti special, the bbq ribs special, chicken fried chicken (excellent) and I particularly enjoy a piece of the cake of the day - usually a sheet cake with a slab of icing...good stuff.  The teen likes their burgers, their cokes soft drinks are in a bottle or a can with a glass of ice served, and they have good iced tea and good hot coffee...served in a diner mug.  As it should be!

Sandy and her husband own the place and have been very friendly to me and mine...but she's definitely a Yankee!  Probably why my husband gets on so well with her :-)  I like her.  She talks back - so don't get uppity with her!  She's part of what makes this little thing work.  Our server, Debbie, was extremely attentive without being intrusive...to me that's a big plus. 

If you like to smoke, it is one of the few places you can go to in the area that allows smoking.  They don't have any fancy air handlers and the room isn't separated...and I'm generally one that can't tolerate cigarette smoke in a closed environment.  However, they have a lot of ceiling fans and Friday we even sat in the smoking section so KM could smoke...I was fine - it didn't bother me in the least.  I think it is because I know to expect it.  Thursday night we were at another restaurant (one of my favorites, on the island), and I almost left because the smoke from the bar was so strong.  I wasn't expecting it, see, and that makes a lot of difference.

Bayside Deli is more like a cafe...if it were run by southerners, the waitresses would have big hair and pink aprons over knit pants so tight you could see the hail damage on their thighs.  Sandy, nor her staff, has any of those things.  Don't wait for them to bring your tab - you just go up to the counter where the register is when you're done eating and they will ring you up.  If you are using plastic to pay - you have to tell them how much tip to put on after they tell you your total - they don't add on after they run the total.  It's unique...but I like it.  Some people don't - I've had neighbors complain about the smoke, the attitude, and other things that make Bayside Deli just what it is... a homegrown local joint.  Folks talkin' from table to table, hearing the gossip, fiery talk about politics both local and national...every little town should have one of these places...and most do!  If you like this sort of place - give it a try!  You'll find them at 725 Santa Isabel Blvd (aka County Road 510) right across from the police station/town hall/city park.

Bon Appetit, Y'all!!!

Dolphins Came For a Visit!

This has nothing to do with recipes or restaurants or food....however, it has everything to do with the special joys of living at the coast.  Two male adolescent dolphins visited our condominiums for about 24 hours.  There was a particularly low tide and they seemed to be temporarily land-locked.  They were entertainment for the residents all day long...I didn't see them this morning, so I assume their visit is over.  I took some pictures...and shot a bit of video...it's really hard to catch a dolphin with a digital camera as slow as mine...I always seemed to get a fin and not much more.  The video was slightly better and you could get the sense that they were biding time for a high tide so they could return to their family tribe.  If you've read my blog before - you know I'm a dolphin lover and the few peeks I get of them are always magical.  Imagine the joy of having them right in front of me for hours on end.  It was beyond description! 

I actually got a little sun burned because I wasn't prepared to be out there - I got the call, grabbed my camera, and headed down to the sea wall.  It was a gorgeous November day, the clouds reflected in the calm bay, you can see the grassy plain that is normally under water except at low, low tide.  Flip flops, tee shirt, and dolphins.  Gosh I love living here!

If you feel like seeing what I got to see, click on the link above.  I gotta say - it was one of my best coastal moments ever!

A special thanks to Dolphin Whisper, Scarlet Colley, and her husband, for coming over and letting us know they were adolescent boys (we'd thought the dolphins were a mom and juvenile - wrong!) and that they would be okay so long as they weren't stranded for more than a couple of days.  They had plenty of fish and a captive audience appreciating them - they surely didn't look distressed at all.  I would have loved for them to hang around - but it's not "dolphin safe" in a dock area.  Props are their enemy.  If you'd like to know more about Scarlet's passion, check out the South Padre Island Dolphin Research link.  If you are interested in more about Scarlet and George's excursions, check out this link.  They seem like really, really nice folks (and they have a cute "dolphin dog" too!).

Thanks Scarlet...and thanks dolphins for providing such a magical day!

Tropical Storm Hermine

It's hard to think about food when you are sitting in a condo on the Laguna Madre with the hurricane shutters banging hard with the sustained 50mph winds as well as 70mph hurricane force gusts of wind.  I am, however, thinking about coffee...and the lack thereof!  I got up at 3:00 a.m. after laying in bed for 3 hours tossing and turning.  I felt happy that I had my hurricane supplies handy and up to date (plenty of batteries, water, battery-operated fan, solar charger, small electronics battery charger, and best of all - roll down hurricane shutters, etc.).  After Hurricane Dolly, I bought many supplies and they are kept in the "hurricane kit" in the attic.  I didn't want to drag down the propane stove and drip coffee maker until I knew I could go outside to use them!  I decided to take a shower to soothe my nerves...and it worked.  I used my handy battery operated lantern which really lit up the bathroom and there was plenty of hot water in my tank, despite the electricity having been off for several hours.  I ended with a cool shower because, of course, no air conditioning comes with no electricity!  My haute cuisine breakfast was a Diet Coke and a Chewy Chocolate Chip Pure Protein bar.

After calling AEP to get an ETA on electrical power reinstatement (they estimated 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday), I got to check my email and Facebook via cell phone for the first time.  I don't have a fancy cell - 3 year old flip phone works just fine for me...except times like this.  It is laborious to have to use a non-QWERTY keyboard for posting updates and texting the family that I survived...and that my teen slept right through it all - bless his heart.  I feel so disconnected with no electronics - no television, no computer (well, I could play solitaire for a while if I wanted), no "sounds" other than wind and rain.  No a/c running, no fridge running...all those little background noises we grow so accustomed to hearing!  I felt extreme happiness and relief when the power returned shortly after 6:00 a.m.  Thank you AEP workers!!!

I'll get back to reviewing restaurants later this week.  For now, I'm thankful to have survived another night in the tropics during Hurricane Season.  Time to re-set the clocks and get that coffee maker going!