Austin is Delicious

We had two wonderful dinners while in Austin.

The first was at Manuel's on Congress

We started off with ceviche

Which was really good.

Lots of flavor from the pico, fresh fish.

Except - someone needs to tell Texas restaurants that ceviche isn't supposed to be cooked.

I'm not sure why they can't grasp this concept.

Steve had a Yellow Fin Tuna Steak on a bed of garlic spinach.

Flavorful, fresh, and soooo good!!

I went a little more traditional Tex-Mex

Chicken enchiladas with mole sauce

Uh huh. It was that good!

and then there was this:

Cucumber lime martini, with a pepper rim.

The pepper was a bit strong for me, but the martini was light and refreshing, not too sweet.

Our second dining stop was even more memorable: Perla's.

We learned about Perla's from Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations

We saw the show, and unlike Tony, we decided to make reservations.

And boy am I glad we did!!

Fresh seafood, in central Texas.

Yessiree.

I loved the decor of this place - it screams beach cottage to me.

Light and airy

Relaxed and cozy

Aren't the woven shades divine?

And the yellow and the aqua really pop.

Fresh flowers on the tables, and scattered around the restaurant

And the food.

To.Die.For.

They bring out a bowl of hush puppies to munch on.

I could eat a dozen.

(I think I might have actually).

I couldn't resist the calamari

It was served with the traditional marinara, and a jalapeno sauce.

The jalapeno sauce was delish - not spicy at all.

It was light, and some of the best calamari I've ever had!!

Steve ordered the sirloin with a lobster & crab citrus salad

I tried the salad, and it was so refreshing. Mmmmmmmmm!!

I ordered the pan seared grouper

It's served with grilled lemon and tomato

Goodness gracious alive - this was some of the best fish I've ever had!

The dessert menu was equally delightful.

Unfortunately we were stuffed.

Maybe it was the dozen hushpuppies.

If you're ever in Austin, check out these places.

Two forks up from me!!

Enjoy your new day!