Galveston

(From November 2009) At this classic white-tablecloth seafood house, the menu changes minimally year to year, but that’s part of the plan. Ordering the fried platter, we sighed over the large, perfectly cooked shrimp and the catfish filet. Then, merging old and new, we moved on to a cup of soulful gumbo and a Jazz Martini: a spicy seafood and avocado salad served in a large martini glass. For a sweet finish, we shared a scoop of Bluebell Homemade Vanilla rolled in pecans and doused in chocolate. Bar.

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(From August 2009) UTMB catering chief Steve Griffith has finally done what his fans have begged him to for years. With “Smooth Tony” Gonzalez, he’s opened a casually posh dinner spot in an old house near campus. We could have made a meal of the palate-tickling spicy firecracker shrimp with cilantro lime cream and the seductive crab bake with spinach and artichokes, but then we would have missed the grilled rack of lamb, which would have been tragic. Beer & wine.

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(From September 2009) This congenial place works a smoky magic with refried beans and does a straight-up job with Tex-Mex in general. But what keeps us coming back are the muy rico chiles rellenos and the enchiladas Veronica: tender chicken enchiladas bathed in a luscious tomatillo sauce and topped with delicate white cheese. On nights when there’s a performance around the corner at the Grand 1894 Opera House, the kitchen turns out curtain-conscious preshow dinners. Beer, wine, & margaritas.

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(From October 2008) Almost at Galveston’s far west end, Avery’s is where turf (chicken-fried steak, fried chicken) meets surf (local and imported seafood). We passed on the Dungeness crab, swordfish, and Australian lobster tail and went for the delicately grilled Gulf shrimp lightly bathed in garlicky lemon butter and tossed with linguine. Our companion hit a triple with catfish crisply fried in cornmeal, a link of andouille sausage, and hearty red beans and rice. Bar.

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(From December 2008) Oilcloth and rolls of paper towels on the tables let us know right off that this wouldn’t be country club Cajun. We shared a whopping platter of fried blue crabs and sprightly hushpuppies, then went on to grilled shrimp and oysters seasoned to within an inch of their lives. The crawfish étouffée would have made any cook in Lafayette proud. Beer & wine.

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(From January 2009) No longer does ambience trump food at the lobby restaurant of the grand Hotel Galvez, which first opened its doors in 1911. Our cumin-infused Indian slaw arrived topped with two perfectly grilled jumbo shrimp while our companion’s delicately flavored crab salad came wrapped in ribbons of cucumber. Both revealed a deft hand in the kitchen, but it was the New-Fashioned Chicken Soup—fresh julienne vegetables, slivers of chicken breast, and crisp rice noodles—that received the highest accolades. Bravo. Bar.

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(From November 2009) On mellow days, there’s no better place to enjoy the view of the beach than from the balcony of this family-friendly spot, where the burgers are juicy and the German fare as hearty as you’d expect. Bearing the founder’s surname, the Lichtenfeldt Burger melds the two themes with Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and German mustard topping a plump patty on a whole wheat bun. Beer & wine.

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(From March 2009) This casual Gaido’s sibling dishes up tasty burgers and fried shrimp, but we go for the salads, as hearty as they are healthy. Our faves are the Southwest crab cake salad—two plump cakes on a bed of crunchy greens tossed in chipotle dressing with tortilla strips and avocado—and the spinach with blackened salmon, sautéed mushrooms, and avocado. One of those and an order of iced Gulf shrimp will leave you plenty of room to swoon over a slice of the irresistibly gooey crustless pecan pie. Bar.

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(From December 2009) With its 180-degree view of sailboat-studded Galveston Bay, the deck is the place to be on sunny days, but out or in, the seafood is tasty, fresh, and abundant. Under a layer of well-seasoned crabmeat, the stuffed shrimp made a perfect lunch, while the fried seafood platter could have fed three, with its crab balls, jumbo shrimp, tilapia filet, and mound of popcorn shrimp. Red beans and rice and coleslaw topped with more shrimp made perfect sides. Bar.

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(From July 2009) Tucked away in the newly redeveloping blocks west of 25th Street, this pared-down bistro serves up Central and Eastern European home cooking. We started with field greens tossed with currants and sliced almonds in a tart-sweet vinaigrette, then went on to a bowl of heartwarming German borscht: tomato, cabbage, onions, and seasoned ground meat, with nary a beet in sight. Beer & wine.

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