Finally A Bullseye

We have had a bad week for Mexican food. I have been waiting almost a whole year to go back to Pepito's in Aransas Pass, across the ferry. I loved the food there, it was special and inventive and just what I like. We went there on Monday night and it was all changed. Someone must have stolen their chef. It was just boring everyday, Mexican. They had a few different sauces for enchiladas, like spinach, cucumber. Didn't do it for us.

Then we have been hearing about the VFW taco night. They raised the price to $6.50 each, and it was just make your own taco salad. Ok, but nothing to recommend, and not special at all.

Last night we were sitting around the Gaff with the gang talking about where to go for dinner. Ended up going to LaPlaya, Mexican, just down from the Gaff. We have always heard it was excellent, but it hadn't been open much in the winter and we didn't have a car, so not so easy for us. Sean ordered the guacamole appetizer, which was by far the best I have ever had. Dave ordered the cheese dip, which he got to mix himself, you get little bowls of meat, onion, tomato, etc. Also very, very good.

I ordered the crab meat enchiladas and Paul the beef fajitas, both were excellent. It is on our list of restaurants that we like here in Port Aransas.

It is rainy and dreary today, but not cold. I hear big surf but it isn't

Busy Saturday

This is a pic of us at the Pelican Club on Sunday. Pics are downloading very slowly. Will try to catch up.

We started with a walk on the beach, having nice weather finally. At 1:30 William and Mary Ann picked us up and we went to Bernie's to meet Lyn and Ken and their friends, Diane and hubby. Richard the bartender made potato clam chowder, which was wonderful. By 3:30 we were at the Gaff to watch the Belt Sander Races, and eat a piece of pizza. Good fun and lots of folks we know there.

It was still nice and sunny out so we went to the park to watch the dolphins. The shipping channel was so calm, very pretty. Might have gotten a good dolphin pic. Will post it eventually.

Then we checked out the Pelican Club, we want to eat there for our anniversary on Sunday. Monday is 41 years married. Their fish entrees make my mouth water just to read the menu; fresh lump crab and fresh flounder (?) on angel hair pasta with parm and grilled asparagus and some other stuff. Yum.

Then we went to Shorty's, the "oldest and friendliest bar on the island," owned by Miss Rose. William and Mary Ann hadn't been there before. It was a lot cleaner than in the past. Probably because Lynn works there and she is into clean. The ceiling is all ball caps, which used to drip with dust bunnies. Now they are dusted. Lots of kitch all over. Very interesting. Mary Ann takes pics all the time, I will post some of her's.

Then we went to Kody's for dinner. Wm and MA hadn't been there either. Susan and Javiar were sitting at the bar after eating. Good to see them again. We had the fried shrimp. And cole slaw and fries. That is the best place! So clean and fast and fresh. And a big menu.

And then Mary Ann hit the wall, and I was ready for pjs too. Back to the park.

Mardi Gras Port Aransas Style

Katherine and Larry invited us along to the Mardi Gras Parade in Port Aransas on Tuesday. We went to Bernie's, a favorite watering hole, and the gang was saving seats. There was Billy Ray and Sherry, from Tulsa, OK, (owners of Billy Ray's Bar B Q, would love to see his tv ads) also Frank and Denise, and Bill and Vicky, all from Colorado. Billy had on OK formal wear, bib overalls.

Gary, the chef at Bernie's, had made Annie Beans and rice, with rolls. Free for the customers. It was very good. The beans had large pieces of sausage and onions and green peppers in it. His rice is always excellent. He cooks New Orleans style, not cajun. The food is tasty, not burning. Paul brought him a couple packs of frozen venison that he is going to cook for us on Thursday. He is going to marinate it in a pineapple/Hawiian mixture. I think he is going to use a roux for the base and serve it on rice. Something like the Craw fish Etouffee. I surely wish the spell check worked. Bernie's Beach House Bar gets better every year. It is clean and open and not smokey, unless you are playing Texas Hold 'Em in the poker rooms.

The parade was the usual charming, small town affair, with the added bonus of drunks flinging cheap beads at us. I got good at ducking, they sure sting. I did get a tee shirt from The Gaff. Another bonus of being spryer than almost anyone else, and sober. Many old guys in the parade had ROMEO shirts on, which means "retired old men eating out." The male version of the Red Hat Club. Guess they are everywhere. It was news to us.

After that we went to The Gaff for meat ball sandwiches. Which were pretty darn good. They have excellent pizza too. The Gaff was full of pirates, which has been their theme forever, and their parade float was pirates too. Grandson Charlie would have loved it. Aaargh was the pass word. Lots of grog and ale consumed. The Gaff is a small shack of a bar, they cook in a toaster oven. It is pretty clean for Port A.

There is no end to the joy of living in a truly red neck town. No pretensions, just regular folks having fun. Eating red meat and drinking beer. Life is good.