This morning, I'm only about 50 miles from my destination, Galveston, so I am in no particular hurry. I use most of the morning to shower, repack the Escape, ice the coolers, etc. Around 10:30AM or so, I'm on my way.
For lunch, I'll be stopping in the town of San Leon at a little "hole in the wall" place with a great reputation for seafood...Gilhooley's. Back in September, I was planning my annual trip to Florida when I received my monthly copy of Saveur magazine. The whole issue was devoted to Texas, and it was a photo of Gilhooley's "signature" appetizer, grilled oysters, that made me decide to come to Texas.
I had forgotten what a mess Houston traffic can be...day or night. My leisurely drive turns into a two-hour crawl through construction. But soon, I'm off the Interstate and rolling along Texas 517 past pi;es of construction equipment, oil refineries, bayous and more...and then...I'm at Gilhooley's. It a ramshackle little building right on the highway...inside, it's packed with locals...no tourists today (except me). A little hand-lettered sign announces Gilhooley's "no children policy"...as the friendly gal behind the bar explains, people come here to spend a little time away from their own kids, so they don't want to spend time with other people's kids. The spelling of "Gilhooley's" is, well, conflicted here...it's spelled one way on the sign outside, a different way on the signs inside, and yet another way on the menu...it's all part of the charm.
I sit down at the bar and order a beer and a dozen oysters on the half-shell...the oysters are wonderful...plump and fresh from the Bay that morning. But they're just the warm-up for the main event...the grilled oysters. They take oysters on the half-shell and top them with butter, garlic, a big piece of shrimp and a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese. Then they place them atop a wood fire to cook briefly. It is one of those "perfect" combinations of flavors...briny, smokey, cheesy, buttery...they are, quite frankly, maybe the best oyster dish that I've ever had. As I'm eating the last one, I'm already wishing that I had more room for another order. I look around at what other people are eating, and everything looks good...really good. This place is one of those little "gems".
At the bar, I strike up a conversation with Doug and Marilyn (that's them waving in the photo). They moved down here from Houston about twenty years ago...and they never left. They're friendly folks...just what you expect from Texas, a state where total strangers wave "hi" while you're driving. Marilyn orders a fried shrimp dinner and insists that I try one...two. They are REALLY good...absolutely fresh, perfectly breaded, not a trace of grease.
Now completely stuffed, I bid farewell and head down to Galveston on the back roads...it's a nice little drive.
I was last in Galveston well over twenty years ago...and driving through, I can see that it is quite different now. Several hurricanes (including the most recent, Ida) have really taken their toll over the years. Along the Seawall, a three-mile strip running along the water, it used to be wall-to-wall hotels, bars, restaurant, souvenir shops, etc. Now, however, places are few and spread wide apart.
It's also very foggy, and there's a steady rainy drizzle...so my plans to camp in Galveston State Park are put on hold. Instead, I check into a hotel that is next to, and part of Gaido's restaurant, the oldest and, supposedly, best seafood restaurant in Galveston. The bar there is comfortable, so I have a few cold Sella beers while watching football. Around 4:00PM, it's time for a three-hour nap before heading down for dinner.
My bartender, Angela, waives the "no dinner at the bar policy", and I order the fried shrimp dinner...it is, well, disappointing. The shrimp are certainly fresh, but the breading is soft and greasy...plus, I'm still thinking about the ones that I had at Gilhooley's. After dinner, a nightcap (or two), then off to bed.
No comments:
Post a Comment