La Hacienda

REPORTED CLOSED OCTOBER 2015

I waited a week to write this post because I wanted to let the emotion of the day pass me by.  We had not eaten much over the course of the day and were pretty darn hungry when we arrived at La Hacienda on the bay front in South Padre Island.  Greeted by a "how many?" from the hostess - without a smile - we said "4" and she said it would be 20 to 30 minutes...maybe as long as 45 minutes.  No smile and no eye contact.  I said that would be fine because I had heard from friends that the wait could be long despite MANY available tables in sight.  She noticed me looking and said, defensively, we have a lot of reservations and people waiting.  I said "no problem", smiled, and asked where we could wait.  Vague hand signal towards the bar.  Good grief.

We sat out on their beautiful patio and enjoyed the sunset over the bay...a truly lovely location.  Twenty minutes passed, then thirty, then we were counting the five minute marks.  My oldest son, who was visiting, said he was going inside to the bar to get a drink...five minutes later my youngest son joined him...at the 50 minute mark my husband and I followed them in (after listening to every patron on the patio grumble...which was only escalating my irritation). 

I told my son when he finished his margarita, we were going to go ahead and leave.  Right about the one hour mark, the manager walks over and asks if we'd like some chips and salsa while we wait for our table.  I said no, we'd had about enough waiting...an hour.  He looked "concerned" and got my name and came back with the hostess.  We were seated in one of the tables that had been empty at least 20+ minutes and the hostess walked away, without providing silverware or an "enjoy your meal".  If I was her boss, she would no longer be employed at La Hacienda....or at least would be receiving some sincere customer service training.  Her attitude was the talk of the folks waiting on the patio!

Outstanding salsa with roasted bits of goodness...I'd go back
for the salsa alone!

Chips and salsa were quickly deposited on the table and our drink order was taken promptly.  Our waiter was really moving it.  He later told us they had 3 waiters and a cook call in (or not show up) and they were slammed.  I saw only one bus person trying to clean the many tables that were empty but not clean.  At the point of drink orders we had been in the restaurant an hour and fifteen minutes.  Thankfully, the chips and salsa took the edge off.  Unfortunately, I drank my water really fast (feeling dehydrated after the wait) and it took a while to get refills.  I sent my son to the bar to get napkins and the waiter noted we had not been provided the utensil and napkin sets and went to the hostess stand to get some for us.

So - despite the gorgeous location, the lovely decor, and the reportedly awesome margaritas and definitely awesome chips and salsa, I was tired and irritable.  So, moving on to the meal.

We ordered a queso...which never came.  When the meals came, my son asked about it...and they brought some out.  I wish he hadn't bothered.  It was cool in temperature - my son won't eat white cheese queso (which it clearly stated on the menu) and it had a taste of bell peppers...which we are not fond of.  Total waste of money as it wasn't eaten. $7



Seafood Trio Enchiladas - note the right side of the enchilada which
was hard as a rock.  Bummer.

For dinner, I ordered the Seafood Trio Enchiladas - scallops, Gulf shrimp, and lump crab in a seafood cream sauce, sprinkled with 3 colors of bell pepper bits (per the comment above, that was not a happy start for me...but I know how to scrape off stuff I don't like - and I did).  Sides of refried beans and rice.  I ate only 4 bites.  The first bite was rock hard tortilla. I chewed and chewed and chewed...finally got it down.  I know that sometimes exposed tortilla can do that under a salamander.  Still, I didn't expect it and it started my mouth off unhappy.  The second bit was nice and soft and I thought yum...until I bit into a scallop that tasted on the edge of rank.  I thought it was me, so I cleansed my mouth with lemon water and a chip and took another bite.  It was just okay...the flavor was bland and had an unappealing texture.  It cost $16 and I was really disappointed.  No one asked (like the waiter) if my food was okay, since I was obviously not eating my meal.  I filled up on beans and rice...which were outstanding in my opinion, despite complaints from my family that the beans were overly dressed with cilantro.

My youngest ordered a soft taco plate, no vegetables, served correctly - which he enjoyed very much. $10.00

My oldest got classic ground beef enchiladas...he said "they were just enchiladas - nothing special" and he really doesn't like cilantro so the beans were pushed to the side.  He only ate one of his enchiladas.  $12.00

My husband cleaned his plate.  He ordered a Chili Relleno and said it was delicious!  He also raved about the margarita with fresh lime juice.  The Chili Relleno plate was $12.00.

So, I feel the need to try it again...not on a holiday week-end (Sunday before Labor Day) on the night of a big island concert.  I have heard so many good things about the food, I think we must have just gone on a bad night.  I will go again...and I'll report back.

I'm not going to give it a rating just yet.  If so many friends had not raved about the food, I wouldn't be wasting my time on a return.  I think, truly, it was just a bad night.

When I got home, I checked urbanspoon.com ...and they weren't listed.  I reported it as a new restaurant and since it has been added, 3 individuals have checked that they liked it.  Someone reported as of yesterday that the food and service was very good.

Keep an eye out for an updated review within the next month!  I'm looking forward to trying their Tacos Carnitas or Chicken al Carbon...both sound yummy to me.   I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Laguna BOB

My oldest is down for a slightly post-birthday visit.  He likes to come down around his birthday and gifts himself with a fishing excursion and lots of relaxing fishing (wade, jetties, piers, docks, whatever he finds).  Today, however, the inestimable Captain Jack Barton once again scored for my boys.  Jay and Ian caught a ton of fish (some of it catch and release) and ended up with one trout and 5 big Red Drums.  We will be having Red Drum for dinner, that's for sure!

They were out of the house at 6:00 a.m. and home around noon.  They wanted a shower and FOOD.  Ian requested lunch on the island.  I knew Jay's "things to do" list ALWAYS includes ceviche from Laguna BOB (previously Wahoo's).  He was thrilled to find the ceviche hadn't changed when he first came down after the closing of Wahoo's and the opening of Laguna BOB.  Both of my older boys find this to be one of their favorite spots for sitting around, drinking a margarita or a beer, and munching on ceviche.

So, with that knowledge, I suggested we go there for lunch.  Mr. Flip Flop was not so happy - he is not a big fan of lunchtime outdoor dining...with the record heat and high humidity he was groaning and moaning...but he's a trouper and said he'd come along.  We got rained on HARD as we were passing through Port Isabel and driving over the causeway, but by the time we got to the lovely bay front location, there was just a bit of sprinkling going on.  Fortunately, they have expanded and provided so much more covered seating, that even at 1:30 on a Saturday on Labor Day Week-end, we found covered seating and a few napkins got rid of most of the wetness on the tables.  Our butts were damp in the chairs, but hey, it was COOL outside and for that we were immensely grateful!

You order at the bar, can run a tab with plastic, and they deliver your food to the table, calling out your name as they come.  The brought all the correct condiments, were very friendly, and we had a fabulous meal with enough food to fill any one's belly!  Jay and Will like coming off-season and chatting with the friendly bartenders.  They've always liked the casual, laid-back environment.

We knew Ian would be having a hamburger...and he did.  What he won't do is wait around for Mom to take a photo...hence, a half eaten burger by the time I snapped everyone else's photos.  The teen and the Dad are now growling at me for taking food photos.  They are growing more and more irritated by it.  Tough, I say.  It's what I do!

Here I am getting "the look" for interrupting his chowing down!

My Jay ordered a large ceviche and a margarita, frozen, with a shot of tequila on the side.  He said his arm ached from fishing all morning...but by the time the tequila hit his empty gullet, he was starting to feel much better.  I will say, I have tried ceviche twice and hated it both times...but, since Will and Jay both say this is the best they've ever eaten...I gave it a try.  It was DELICIOSA!  The difference is the excellent flavor balance and the small pieces of fish.  The last time I ate ceviche it tasted like raw fish in lime juice - big chunks...and nothing else.  This, however, was a work of art with the perfect balance of spice, heat, herbal, and citrus.  Really, really good.


This is a large ceviche...he couldn't even eat half of it!

 

That is one contented man!
Fishin', margarita, and ceviche...in that order :-)

 

I ordered a Grilled Chicken Club (sans the tomatoes).  It had bacon, melted cheese, moist chicken, and was served on a light onion roll.  Excellent - made excellent by really good bacon.  So often I find restaurants take short cuts with their cheap bacon (down here anyway) and it can ruin a meal.  This was good thick tasty bacon.  Yum.  The fries were a mixture of sweet potato fries, regular white potato fries and waffle fries.  I couldn't eat many because the sandwich was so big, but I focused on the sweet potato fries and they were very tasty.

My Grilled Chicken Club needed to be cut in half for me to wrangle
in all of that bacon and other good stuff.

John had a BLT and he ate every single bite.  He, too, focused on eating his sweet potato fries.  He even finished off my sandwich for me because it was just too much.  He was pleasantly surprised at how cool it was and uncrowded and a nice view of the bayfront activity.

The BLT was a generous sandwich!!!

All-in-all, it was a great lunch.  I certainly see why my boys like it so much.  I bet it is truly an awesome place to wind down the day on a pleasant Fall or Winter's evening!  Summer is hot - so I'll leave it to the tourists and young'uns who can tolerate the heat.  I'll definitely enjoy it again in my favored non-summer seasons!

This appears to be primarily a bar environment - I don't think I'd take my kids there.  I didn't see any children present...but I could be wrong.  The menu didn't list a children's menu...just saying, in case you were wondering. 

Also, I see that they have quite a musical line-up.  Check out their Facebook page and Like them to keep up with the musical offerings!

Bon Appetit, Y'all!

SPI FLIP FLOP FOODIE RATING:

4 – Lip smackin’ - good quality – flip flops will definitely be parked under their table again!
 

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!

Gabriella's Two-in-a-Row!

My sisters were in town near my birthday and we joined up at Gabriella's for dinner out.  One sister was visiting the island for the first time and we were telling her, now that we live here, Gabriella's is our favorite restaurant for consistent quality meals.  You can guarantee (almost) that there will be a long wait...and you can pretty much guarantee it will be worth that wait! Flavor-wise, they have not failed me yet!

Sorry about the cell phone photos...but it is what it is!

I got the Pasta Carbonara - full of creamy garlicky bacony goodness :-)

Baby Sister got the luscious and dependably delicious Lasagna.

Middle Beloved Sister got the spicy and sausage-filled baked rigatoni.

With a piece of Raspberry Cheesecake and 3 forks for dessert - dinner was memorable.

Then, the very next week, my husband was lamenting that I always went to Gabriella's when he wasn't in town.  So, I planned date night for the night of the Port Isabel High School Homecoming Dance.  The teen was dropped off and we rolled on to the island and Gabriella's.  Despite a 45 minute wait, my husband's plastic chair cracking and dropping him to the floor and barely missing hitting his head as we waited outside, it was still an awesome night.  The wait staff were celebrating Halloween dressed up in some amazing costumes, the temperature was in the cool 60's while we waited and enjoyed a view of the bridge and the bay, and our service from Green Man, our waiter, was impeccable.  I didn't spoil our ambiance by whipping out the cell phone for pictures.  My poor husband had already been traumatized by the cheap chair crackage...so no photos.  However, he had Linguine with Clams and declared it very very good.  I had Roast Beef Papparadelle (this picture is from a previous visit) which really rocks. 

Mostly we enjoyed a night out together in the midst of happy people, good food, and outstanding service.  (It didn't hurt that we didn't have to fight for the bread and outstanding dipping sauce with the teen...he tends to hog it!)

Gabriella's is a place you definitely want to visit when on the island.  Don't be hurried...because they are on a Mama's Italian kitchen schedule...cooked to order and everyone wants it... so you WILL have to wait!

Bon Appetit, Y'all!!!