By: Emma Comery Photos by: Rachel Benavides
From Rockport’s maritime legacy to Port Aransas’brrecreational fishing hotspots, the Coastal Bend hasbra long and storied history of excellent seafood.brWhile old favorites continue to set the bar forbrclassic Coastal Bend fare, our ever evolving restaurant scene and rising national profile means manybrspots are pushing the boundaries in delicious newbrways. In an attempt to take a closer look at thebrwildly inventive local seafood scene, I ate my waybrthrough 10 different hot spots in just one week.brThe experience allowed us to discover the storiesbrbehind two restaurant owners, four dishes, andbrfive eateries that all truly embody the traditionsbrand innovations of Coastal Bend seafood. Happy eating!
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FINS GRILL + ICEHOUSE,brPORT ARANSAS
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At 19, Beth Owens visited Port Aransasbrfor the first time on Spring Break and –brsappy but true – met “a very cute boatbrcaptain.” Reader, she married him. Andbrgood thing, too, because the couplebrwent on to open three of Port A’s mostbrfoundational and well-loved restaurants, subsequently helping to definebrthe island getaway as a rising foodiebrdestination.br
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Though they had owned a fishing charter called Deep Sea Headquarters for several years, in 2005 Beth and Kelly Owensbrdecided to open Fins, a casual familybrrestaurant on the water. Back then, PortbrA’s seafood scene wasn’t as developed.brDespite others in the industry pressuringbrthem to serve box-to-fryer frozen sea-brfood, Beth and Kelly were determined to serve 100 percent fresh fish, or no fish at all. That culinary integrity wonbrFins a strong base of repeat customers,brand today, the restaurant is a waterfrontbrtradition that serves 1,500 guests a day.
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Beth now owns six different businessesbrwith her husband (including MacDaddy’s Family Kitchen and Tortuga’s Saltwater Grill), serves on Port Aransas CitybrCouncil, and recently sat on the judges’brpanel at the World Food Competition.br“Kelly Owens changed my life,” shebrrecounts. “I didn’t even realize I had it inbrme to be the person I am today. I neverbrever would have imagined the life I havebrright now.” Port A (and especially itsbrseafood scene), in turn, cannot imagine abrlife without Beth.br
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420 W Cotter Avenue
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Tuna Fusion Cevichebr
COSTA SUR WOK + CEVICHE BAR,brNORTH PADRE ISLAND
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What does chef, restaurateur, and surferbrNick Mackrizz, a Padre Islander bornbrand raised, want from his diners at CostabrSur? He ashes a cocky grin and jokes,br“That wow face.” That’s not just big talk.brOne bite of his Tuna Fusion Ceviche andbryou’ll be shattered.br
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Trained at Le Cordon Bleu, Nick cookedbrin restaurants in Peru before bringing hisbrpassion for ceviche home. In the openbrkitchen of Costa Sur, Nick provides “abrlive action dining experience.”br
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Hefty chunks of raw tuna are cured orbr“cooked” in citrus juices for just five to eight minutes, then topped withbrfresh mango, avocado, raw and pickled onions, spicy limo peppers, and canchitabr(also known as the unpopped popcornbrof Peru). Don’t worry about utensils –brChef Nick serves up crispy homemadebrtortilla chips that double as spoons. Fairbrwarning: this blend of classic Peruvianbrtechnique and South Texas flavors is so dynamite that you’ll probably forgetbryour dining companions even exist.brThere’s little to no talking while eatingbrthis ceviche. There is only scooping,brdipping, chewing, and wow faces.
1513 S Padre Island Drive #101
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Cathy, Hannah, and Hank Harrisonbr
HARRISON’S LANDING TAVERN ON THE BAY,brCORPUS CHRISTI
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How many people can say they have twobrU.S. Presidents in their family tree? Hankbrand Hannah Harrison can. As descendants of both William Henry Harrisonbrand Benjamin Harrison (the 9th and 23rdbrPresidents, respectively), Hannah andbrHank can trace their ancestry through thebrCivil War, the signing of the Declarationbrof Independence, and the ContinentalbrCongress. Self-proclaimed history buffsbrwho “love any excuse to tell the story,”brthe siblings watched their father, Bill,brbuild a business around this uniquebrhistory. Today, Hannah and Hank, alongbrwith their mother, Cathy, own one ofbrDowntown Corpus Christi’s biggestbrwaterfront dining attractions.
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Serving up classic seafood favorites likebrFried Calamari, Crab-Encrusted Flounder,brand Mahi Tacos, the restaurant literally floats in the marina, offering the bestbrview of the sunset Corpus has to offer.brWhile the day-to-day of Harrison’s Land-bring is handled by CEO Lynn Cates, whombrHank calls “part of the family,” Cathy and Hannah take care of the buying forbrthe boutique, and Hank continues to be involved with the brand, though hebrrecently shifted gears to focus on his ownbrdowntown business, The Exchange.
Though Harrison’s Landing has expanded over the years to include a boutique,brcharter cruises, live music, and interactivebrsailing cruises, the family maintains thebrhumble philosophy of, “Serve good fish.brKeep having fun.” Sounds like Corpus inbra nutshell, huh?br
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108 Peoples Street T-Head
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Lobster Tostadabr
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Don’t let the luxury resort atmosphere of Palmilla Beach fool you. Black Marlin is all about casual feel-good eats. “I waitbruntil I’m ravenously hungry,” explainsbrExecutive Chef Gail Huesmann, “and thenbrI come up
with dishes that push the envelope on the familiar.” A self-proclaimedbr“freak for seafood” and firm believer
brthat “eating with your hands is the mostbrimmersive experience,” Chef Gail slaysbreverything she puts on the menu at BlackbrMarlin, especially the Lobster Tostada.br
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Swapping out the traditional tortillabrfor a deep-fried wonton (because “whobrdoesn’t love wontons?”), this dish is essentially a tower of lobster claw andbrknuckle meat on a light and crunchybrbase. Smooth flavors of avocado, mangobrsalsa, and coleslaw (hold the mayo) swirlbrtogether – the perfect beachside snack onbrany South Texas day. Though expertly,brartfully plated, this dish doesn’t expect tobrbe eaten with any delicacy or decorum. In fact, it will mock you for trying,brtumbling through your fingers to paint abrJackson Pollock of seafood on the plate.brFinger food at its finest.
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258 Snapdragon Street
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Roosevelt’s
PORT ARANSAS
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Tucked behind The Tarpon Inn on E.brCotter Ave in Port Aransas, Roosevelt’sbrearned its name when FDR
himselfbrvisited Port A for a fishing trip in 1937.brToday, the president’s tarpon scale sitsbrin the lobby of The Tarpon Inn, andbrRoosevelt’s is the fine dining experience in downtown Port A. With seating for just 64, the warmly paneledbrcottage restaurant offers an intimatebralternative to the sports bars and grillsbrcrowded with locals and tourists alike.brNo matter where you’re seated, thebropen kitchen provides dinner and abrshow, so to speak, as chefs and linebrcooks toss pans of jumbo lump crabbrcakes, pan-seared snapper with ravioli, and parmesan crusted flounder.br
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Grounded in the two-prongedbrculinary tradition of Coastal Bendbrmeat and seafood, Roosevelt’s foodbrphilosophy is that fine dining doesn’tbrhave to mean molecular gastronomy; sometimes it just means re nedbrcomfort food prepared from thebrhighest-quality ingredients. Here, saysbrExecutive Chef Matt Axtell, fine diningbris an experience available to everyone,bran elevated meal you can roll up to inbra golf cart.br
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200 E Cotter Avenue
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GLOW
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ROCKPORTbr
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When Karey Swartwout purchased abrtiny sailboat repair shop on the edgebrof Little Bay in Rockport nine yearsbrago, it was just “a shell of a garage”brwith a small parking lot still linedbrwith sailboats waiting for a littlebrtender loving care. Today, that cottagebris old Rockport reinvented, sportingbran outdoor patio, a small bar, and abrdining room appointed with shiplapbrand mirrors. From a menu driven bybrboth Karey’s past life in the UK andbrpresent life on the Gulf Coast, dinersbrindulge in savory bowls of blackenedbrred drum and crab cream sauce overbrpasta, shrimp bathed in white winebrover creamy mashed potatoes, andbrRockport chowder.br
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At the small bar, Karey’s homemadebrsea salt rims the glasses of handcraftedbrcocktails like the orange and lavenderbrAfterglow and the cucumber lime BigbrTree. Everything at Glow comes with abrside of that same elegant coziness. Exposed Edison light bulbs, fishing netsbrdraped from the ceiling, and a ship’sbrhelm repurposed as a chandelier create a warm, whimsical…well, glow.br
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1815 Broadway Street #3540br
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Cajun Snapper
THE BLUE CLOVE SEAFOOD BAR + GRILLbrCORPUS CHRISTI
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It’s fair to say you don’t really expectbrgreat seafood restaurants to sit so far in-brland from the coast, but The Blue ClovebrSeafood Bar + Grill has made a name for itself by defying expectations. Father-son duo Antonio and Tony Posadabrembrace the mashup of their old schoolbrand new school mentalities, oftenbrveering away from tradition to create off-menu favorites like the Cajun Snapper.brFlaky sautéed snapper is piled high withbrbuttery bay scallops and jumbo shrimp,brall of which is topped with mushrooms,brcapers, and a creamy cajun sauce. Thebrlightness of the snapper complementsbrthe richness of the sauce, tossing youbrback and forth between a half dozenbrincredible flavors with each bite.br
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There’s something new in the pan everybrday at The Blue Clove. Both Tony andbrhis father love the thrill of experimenting with new preparations. “Tell us whatbryou want and we’ll make it,” says Tony,breager for a challenge. Spooning the lastbrbite of creamy fish off my plate, I havebrno doubt Tony would have preparedbrthis snapper to perfection even had Ibrcaught it off the jetty at Packery Channelbrand brought it to him still finning. Afterbrtasting this dish, I just might.br
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5884 Everhart Road
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Black Magic Grouper
ISLAND TIME SUSHI BARbrAND SEAFOOD GRILL,brNORTH PADRE ISLAND
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Inspired by Chef Paul Prudhomme’sbrMagic Seasonings, Island Time ownerbrRomeo Galindo developed his BlackbrMagic Grouper as a playful experiment…and instantly discovered anbrisland favorite. Sitting on a bed ofbrjasmine rice and grilled asparagus, thisbrdish looks, tastes, and sounds like sin.brIn that first bite, peppery grouper andbra decadent basil cream sauce hit yourbrtastebuds with a one-two punch. Butbrthe second bite is when the magic happens. An undertow of jumbo lump crabbrwith a market price of over $40/lb (andbrworth every penny) pulls you in, tossesbryou around, and leaves you beggingbrfor another taste. Salty, spicy, and rich,brBlack Magic casts a sensory spell youbrwon’t want to break.br
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14225 S Padre Island Drive
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Water Street Oyster Bar
DOWNTOWN CORPUS CHRISTI
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Like many of Downtown Corpus Christi’sbrbest and tastiest, the building that housesbrthe Oyster Bar was an old run-downbrbuilding (a transmission shop, to be exact) before it was revitalized into a trendybrseafood hotspot. The raw bar, sushi bar,brand cocktail bar offer guests a front rowbrseat to the Gulf Coast’s freshest seafood.brLed by Brad Lomax and his son, Richard,brWater Street continues to expand,broffering one of the widest arrays of Gulfbrseafood in the Coastal Bend.br
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If you’re not sure where to start with Water Street’s top-notch menu, we suggestbra plate of half-shell Gulf Coast oysters. When in Rome, right? A half-dozen rawbroysters come on a bed of ice with lemon,brtabasco, horseradish, and saltine crackers.brDelicious? Yes. Sophisticated? No. This is finger food. If you’re looking for some-brthing more decadent, the Oysters Rockefeller are topped with sautéed onions,brspinach, and bacon (yes, bacon!), thenbrsprinkled with jack cheese and baked inbrthe oven. The result is a creamy texturebrand garlicky flavor that will have youbrwondering if it would be rude to lick thebrshells. (It would, but we won’t tell.)
309 N. Water Street
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Latitude 28°02′
ROCKPORT
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The name alone might give you a hint,brbut the carefully curated gallery of localbrartwork that spans every wall in Latitudebr28°02′ proves just how enamoredbrowners Craig and Ramona Day are withbrthe geography of Rockport. For this husband and wife team, opening their ownbrrestaurant was the culmination of yearsbrof experience across different culinarybrindustries, and the result is a premierbrseafood experience unlike any other.
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Spacious dining rooms with brightlybrpainted wooden tables, ultra-flatteringbrgallery lighting, and burnished cement floors the color of a rusting ship set abrtone of understated coastal luxury. Families, friends, and couples of all ages dinebron Shrimp Gilroy, Craig’s Crab Cakes,brsnapper bathed in a tomato-tarragon wine sauce, and Ramona’s Cheese Cakebrwith Amaretto Sauce. Take your time;brthese are dishes worth savoring.
Latitude isn’t just about the food,brthough. You could spend hours walkingbrthrough the various rooms of the restaurant, contemplating the collection Ramona has carefully curated, and whichbrshe sells on commission. Oil paintingsbrof swimming sea turtles, photographsbrof cranes in flight, and even sculpturesbrof Coastal Bend sh make you feel asbrthough you are simultaneously indoorsbrand out, a buoy bobbing between thebrnatural world and the dining room.br
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105 N. Austin Street
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