Port Aransas

(From January 2011) Of Port A’s many seafood restaurants, none is better than this waterfront landmark presided over by Guy Carnathan, who also created the late, lamented Beulah’s. The menu’s shorter now, but still in-cludes an impressive variety of seafood. We started with a succulent crab beurre noir, the meat sautéed in brown butter and served on toast points. A notable cornmeal-crusted grouper filet in a mild three-pepper cream sauce was slightly preferred over an also excellent red snapper filet with avocado salsa. Sides rivaled the main dishes in quality; the white-cheddar grits are so good they should be offered as an entrée. The upstairs dining room offers views of the Lydia Ann Channel. Bar.

Monday, September 22nd, 2008, 1:59 pm
libby says:
Pelican and Venetian Hot Plate are good. But my favorite place in Port A. is La Playa Mexican Grille. Be prepared for a wait. Relax and enjoy chatting with the other waitees in La Playa's front patio area and salivating as people exit and the open door wafts savory garlic. The food is a homestyle mix of grilled seafood and trad Mex dishes. All of it, from-scratch delicious.

Leave a Review

(From January 2012)

After an uneven start the operating team has upped its game at this intimate venue, putting it on course to be competitive with the best dining rooms in Port Aransas. We were pleased with the service and impressed with the food, which were little works of art. The scallops were sauteed with a medley of herbs and served over mushroom-flecked risotto; lighlt crusted crab cakes came with a piquant chipotle remoulade; and a top-quality steak was nicely grilled and complemented by Black Forest mushroom sauce and potatoes Savoyard, a hearty variation of scallpoed spuds. Perhaps most impressive were the desserts: an excellent tiramisu and a "key limon" pie with a layer of lemon cream over a layer of lime cream. Bar.

Leave a Review

(From June 2011)

This institution makes a credible claim (amid strong competition) for providing the best dining experience in Port Aransas. Our server guided us to an appetizer we could have made a meal off of: a loaf of baked po-lenta with a light, fresh tomato-and-onion sauce and chunks of creamy Gorgonzola. Entrées were flawless: grilled mahimahi with a green onion pesto and pan-fried crab cakes—crunchy on the outside, moist and succulent within. Both were accompanied by properly grilled asparagus and an excellent carrot-flecked risotto. Altogether a satisfying justification for a round-trip to “the Port.” Beer & wine.

Leave a Review