< PreviousFrom the EditorMany delectable develop-ments have occurred in the coastal Texas dining scene since we served up our first Food Issue a year ago. A wave of new restaurants, their kitchens commanded by notable chefs, have raised the seafood levels a notch. Kemah saw the opening of Eculent, a restaurant working to deliver eating experiences that engage all five senses. Galveston’s Seawall Boulevard alone welcomed two new restaurants — Ocean Grille & Beach Bar and BLVD. Seafood — where inventive chefs are preparing Gulf-caught fare in fresh and creative ways. What’s particularly praiseworthy about all the chefs featured in this issue is their dedication to locally sourced foods.Clear Lake Shores earlier this year revved lovers of street food by opening a food truck park. And while some resis-tance by brick-and-mortar restaurants slowed the roll of food trucks in Galves-ton, the city in June implemented new rules to pave a smoother road.The food scene got a little spicier with the arrival of Robb Walsh, a well known Texas food writer and critic whose books include “Sex, Death & Oysters,” and his much anticipated “The Chili Cookbook,” to be released in September. Walsh and fam-ily bought a house in Galveston and are calling the island home.This issue is stuffed with good recipes and good stories about the people who prepare and love food. Happy reading and eating.LAURA ELDERCoast Monthly EditorA BIG YEAR IN FOOD ON THE TEXAS COASTLongboard giveaway: After reading many worthy submissions, the winner of our longboard giveaway is Troy Alvarado, a graduate of Ball High School in Galveston. Alvarado plans to use the longboard, generously donated by Ohana Surf & Skate in Galveston, for transportation to Galveston College. We congratulate him and wish him all the best.10 COASTMONTHLY.COM / SEPTEMBER 2015Breakfst • Lunch • Soda Fountain510 23RD STREET • GALVESTON, TX409-766-7719WWW.GALVESTONSTARDRUG.COMDAILY, 9AM-3PMSWEET TREATS & SHOPPINGHAPPY HOUR: FRI-SAT, 3-4PMHOURS MAY BE SEASONAL ANDSUBJECT TO CHANGE2413 Market St. 832-689-4127market25abc@gmail.comYou’re Invited!UNIQUE2413 MARKETGALVESTON, TXWide Variety ofUnique and SpecialAntiquesBooksJewelryJazz Up yourIsland StyleCONSISTENTLY RANKED AMONG THE TOP TWO PRODUCERS ON GALVESTON ISLAND FOR DOLLAR VOLUME & NUMBER OF CLOSED TRANSACTIONS• Honored 5 times by the Houston Business Journal for Closed Transactions• Honored by H Texas Magazine• Honored by Heritage Texas Properties as 2013 & 2014 Top Producer• Nationally recognized as Real Trends 2014 Top 250 Real Estate Professional for Closed TransactionsSUE JOHNSON, brokerSUE JOHNSON | Broker Associate | 409.682.9050 | sue@heritagetexas.com | heritagetexas.comwww.suejohnsongalveston.com®409.682.9050BEACHSIDE VILLAGE11610 BEACHSIDE | $1,095,000PIRATES BEACH 4022 MUTINY CT | $649,900PIRATES BEACH 4102 MAISON ROUGE | $649,000INDIAN BEACH 18318 E DE VACA | $649,000PIRATES BEACH 4210 CAMPECHE | $569,000ISLA DEL SOL 3916 BRIDGE HARBOR | $549,900PIRATES BEACH 4101 FIDDLER CRAB | $499,900PIRATES BEACH 4011 WARCHEST | $449,000NEAR WEST 5901 AVENUE T | $385,000PIRATES BEACH 13822 PIRATES BEACH BLVD. | $339,900JAMAICA BEACH 16610 JAMAICA BEACH RD. | $319,900ISLA DEL SOL4217 ISLA DEL SOL | $315,000PIRATES BEACH 4106 PIRATES ALLEY | $309,000SEA ISLE22209 MATAGORDA | $299,000SEA ISLE22012 SAN LUIS PASS RD. | $294,500SEA ISLE4026 KENT | $164,900FeedbackFlorida has Key lime pies. Louisiana is famous for ba-nanas foster and bread pudding. And Mississippi has its mud pies.But what is the quintessential dessert of the Texas Gulf Coast? We asked on Facebook and the answers were over-whelmingly pecan pie and Blue Bell. Anything from La King’s Confectionery in Galveston’s downtown got some votes, too. All are fine treats indeed, but we were intrigued by Dickinson farmer Jim Guidry’s suggestion that banana pudding was the des-sert of the Texas Gulf Coast.“Without a doubt — banana pudding,” Guidry said. “Quintes-sentially Southern, some think it originated in the banana port towns of Galveston or New Orleans.”So we asked Mary Bass, executive sous chef at BLVD. Seafood in Galveston, to whip up a recipe for us. Enjoy. CBANANA PUDDINGServings: 8 individual glasses or 1 trifle bowlINGREDIENTS1 box of mini vanilla wafers4 yellow (but not too ripe) bananas, sliced1 batch of chantilly cream (see recipe below)1 batch of vanilla pudding (see recipe to right)DIRECTIONSDivide the box of mini wafers and crush ¾ of the box either by hand or in a food processor.Slice bananas on a bias and set aside. Layer banana pudding in indi-vidual glass cups or trifle bowl, starting with crushed vanilla wafers, followed by pudding, bananas next and topped off with chantilly cream. Top with remaining un-crushed vanilla wa-fers and refrigerate until served. Can be made up to half a day in advance. CHANTILLY CREAM INGREDIENTS1 quart heavy cream1 teaspoon vanilla extract½ cup granulated sugarDIRECTIONSPut cream, vanilla and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat until soft peaks begin to form. Cover and refrigerate until serving.VANILLA PUDDINGINGREDIENTS2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons cornstarch½ cup sugarPinch of coarse salt2 large eggs2 cups milk1 vanilla bean, split and scraped, seeds reserved1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into small pieces2 teaspoons pure vanilla extractDIRECTIONSPrepare an ice bath; set aside. In a small bowl, combine corn-starch, 2 tablespoons sugar, and salt. Whisk eggs in a sepa-rate bowl until smooth; whisk in cornstarch mixture.Combine milk, remaining sugar, and vanilla-bean scrapings in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Slowly pour milk into egg mix-ture, whisking constantly.Return mixture to saucepan set over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat, and transfer mixture to a medium heatproof bowl.Whisk in butter and vanilla ex-tract. Set bowl in ice bath, stir-ring occasionally, until chilled.PHOTO BY MARY BASS12 COASTMONTHLY.COM / SEPTEMBER 2015A partnership with businesses to conserveGalveston Island’s natural resources.These businesses collect contributions to conserve and enhance public access to Galveston Island’s naturalresources through a 1% donation added to your bill. Please be sure to ask for 1% To Conserve Galveston Island be added to your bill. Your donation will be used to acquire land for conservation and create public amenities for the enjoyment of Galveston’s natural resources for generations to come. If you choose not to participate, you may “opt out” prior to payment.Look for the 1% logo where you shop, stay, eat or play, and show our partnersyou appreciate their commitment to Galveston’s natural resources.For more information about 1% To Conserve Galveston Islandcall 409-770-0219 • www.toconservegalvestonisland.org1% To Conserve Galveston Island™ is a program of the Artist Boat, a 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organization.To the business partners helping us conserve Galveston’s natural resources.Business Partners:THANK YOUPhoto by Jim OlivePhotographyG. Lee Gallerywww.gleegallery.net409-370-73502215 Post Office Street,Galveston, TX 77550Brax Easterwood Designwww.beaia.com409-354-89762728 Avenue Q, Suite 2,Galveston, TX 77550Latitude Home Serviceswww.latitudehomeservices.com409-392-8017K&E Klean 4 Uwww.keklean4u.com409-750-2342The Kitchen Chickwww.thekitchenchick.com409-497-2999528 23rd Street, Galveston, TX 77550Oasis Juice Bar & Marketwww.oasisjuicebar.com409-762-8446409 25th Street, Galveston, TX 77550Galveston Island Park Board of Trusteeswww.galvestonparkboard.org409-797-51442328 Broadway, Galveston, TX 77550The Yoga Havenwww.theyogahaven.net409-770-99952507 Market Street, Galveston, TX 77550The Witcherywww.witcheryonline.com409-515-06692116 Post Office Street, Galveston, TX 77550Clay Cup Studioswww.claycupstudios.com409-762-25292201 Market Street, Galveston, TX 77550Outrageous Boutique941-587-4538405 22nd Street, Galveston, TX 77550Gulf Coast Renewable Resourceswww.gulfcoastrenewableresources.com409-766-0208Speedy’s Printingwww.speedysprinting.com409-763-1666715 24th Street, Galveston, TX 77550Urban Resortwww.urbanresorthome.com409-433-5410411 25th Street, Galveston, TX 77550Upholstery Plus Fabricswww.greatupholstery.com409-502-19402228 Broadway, Galveston, TX 77550Cottage on14th Streethttp://www.vrbo/336445Economy Liquor Galvestonwww.economyliquorgalveston.com409-763-60911911 23rd St., Galveston &16708 D San Luis Pass Rd, Jamaica Beach TX Affaire D’Art Gifts and Gallerywww.affairedart.com409-539-53572317 Strand, Galveston, TX 77550Katie’s Seafood Marketwww.katiesseafoodmarket.com409-763-81601902 Wharf Road, Galveston, TX 77550Blue Water Grill & Ignoble Pizzeriawww.facebook.com/bluewatergrillgalveston.com409-974-493416708 San Luis Pass Road, Galveston, TX 77550Happy Pretty Youwww.happyprettyyou.com409-765-55051615 23rd Street, Galveston, TX 77550Bronco Burritobroncoburrito.com409-762-93444917 Broadway, Galveston, TX 77550Dr. Detailwww.drdetail-galveston.com409-740-75006611 Stewart Road, Galveston, TX 77551IslandFramedislandframed.com409-256-0062515 25th Street, Galveston, TX 77550ShyKatz Deli & Bakerywww.facebook.com/shykatzdeli409-770-05001528 Avenue L, Galveston, TX 77550Gigi’s Pampered Petswww.facebook.com/GigisPamperedPetsGrooming409-539-8002120 20th Street, Galveston, TX 77550Island Brainworks L.L.C.www.islandbrainworks.com409-599-72682220 Post Office Street, Galveston, TX 77550The Food IssueStory by Sue Mayfield GeigerFried seafood is a sacred tradition in these parts. We honor and respect that tradition. But some chefs — a few new to the local dining scene — are inspiring us to step out of our culinary comfort zones by putting tasty twists on coastal classics. We showcase four of those chefs and their fresh approaches to seaside delicacies.BEYOND THE FRIED AND TRUECreative chefs serve up new ways to prepare seaside fareMeet the Chef: ROSS WARHOLRestaurant: Pelican Club, 3828 Ave. T, GalvestonHometown: Buffalo, N.Y.Kitchen tool he can’t live without: “My offset spatula and sauce spoon. The spatula has traveled the world with me at every restaurant I’ve worked. My sauce spoon is engraved with my name and the year I worked at the Athenaeum Hotel in New York. Both items are special to me.”When not wearing his chef’s hat: “I’m a big car fanatic. I go to car shows whenever possible.”The island’s Pelican Club, private for decades, opened to the general public more than a year ago and has steadily become a favorite place to dine. Art deco meets vintage nightclub charm the minute you step inside, but the menu is definitely avant-garde.Chef Ross Warhol has made it his mission to introduce diners to what he calls the “New American Table.” “We are always thinking progressively,” he said. “We take typi-cal dishes and recreate them in a way where they may not look familiar, but the flavors will take you right back to some of your childhood food memories.”After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., Warhol went on to travel the world and work abroad. While working as the presidential chef at the Athenaeum Hotel in Chautauqua, N.Y., he launched Bloom, a 100 percent lo-cally sourced restaurant. Warhol brings his farm-to-table sensibility to the Pelican Club by using local vendors. “I’m at the Galveston’s Own Farmers Market every Sunday to shop for the restau-rant,” said Warhol, who also shops at the island’s Katie’s Seafood Market daily. “We have a dish on our menu called Katie’s Catch, depend-ing on what came in fresh that morning.”Warhol’s best seafood rein-vention is a spin on Tex-Mex, called Snapper Crudo Tostada, which is on the Pelican Club’s 12-course tasting menu. “That is when my style of cooking really comes out,” he said. “I personally get to put my heart on the plate. I pair a cocktail with this dish called the Hot and Cold Margarita. Our frozen in-house margari-ta mix is in the bottom of the glass; then we pipe on warm foam. So, when you drink the drink you have a warm sensation on your lips from the foam and then it turns ice cold as soon as the slush breaks through.”Warhol credits his grand-mother for his love of cooking. “She was the best chef I’ve ever known. Her food went straight to my soul,” he said. “Nothing fancy, just down-right good home-cooking.”Another item on the Pelican Club menu Warhol likes to boast about is the Shrimp and Grits. “I went to Pascal’s Manale in New Orleans and studied their barbecue shrimp,” he said. “I came back and made our own version.”14 COASTMONTHLY.COM / SEPTEMBER 2015PHOTOS BY JENNIFER REYNOLDSSNAPPER CRUDO TOSTADAINGREDIENTS10 ounces red snapper, freshest and best quality, 1⁄4-inch slices 1 avocado, sliced 1 Serrano chili 1⁄2 cup queso fresco 20 cilantro leavesCrudo base: 1.5 tablespoons chili garlic sauce 1 cup fresh lemon juice 1⁄2 cup orange juice Place the raw sliced snap-per pieces in the crudo base mixture and allow to marinate for no more than 2 minutes. Remove onto a side dish and season with salt. Place 3 to 4 snapper slices that have been rolled nicely and artistically inside the tostada spiral. Add several more dots of the corn pudding on top of the snapper and tostada spiral. Using the chipotle mayonnaise, add dots on top of snapper and tostada spiral. Place “crazy corn” clusters on top of snapper inside tostada spiral, but still visible to the eye. Using an offset spatula, place 3 to 4 small teaspoon mounds of pico de gallo inside spiral and just outside of it. Using tweezers, place pickled red onion petals along the outside and on top of the spiral, using the purées as guidance for them to stand upright rather than flat. Garnish the dish with small avo-cado slices, sprinkle of queso fresco, sliced Serrano chilies and cilantro leaves.1⁄4 cup olive oil 1 tablespoon minced garlic 2 scallions, sliced Zest of 3 lemons Zest of 3 limes 1 teaspoon kosher saltDIRECTIONSIn mixing bowl, combine chili garlic sauce, lemon juice and orange juice. Whisk in olive oil, followed by the minced garlic and scallions. Add lemon and lime zest with salt; mix until combined. Tostada, corn pudding, chipotle mayo, pico de gallo, crazy corn and pickled red onion recipes can be found with complete recipe at coastmonthly.com.AssemblyOn desired plate, pipe 3 to 4 dots of corn pudding to help secure tostada spiral from roll-ing. Place tostada spiral onto the plate where corn pudding has been laid. “We take typical dishes and recreate them in a way where they may not look familiar, but the flavors will take you right back to some of your childhood food memories.”– Chef Ross Warhol COASTMONTHLY.COM / SEPTEMBER 2015 15The Food IssueMeet the Chef: DAVID SKINNERRestaurant: Eculent, 709 Harris Ave., KemahHometown: Ponca City, Okla.Kitchen tool he can’t live without: Sous vide machine, a water circulator that keeps food at the same perfect temperature. When not wearing his chef’s hat: “Even on my day off, I’m in the kitchen. I wake up in the middle of the night with new food ideas, so I keep a notepad by my bed, using a Livescribe Smart-pen that records everything I write.” PHOTOS BY STUART VILLANUEVAChef David Skinner’s passion for food was inspired by his grandmother, who was a pastry chef. “I spent many a night in her kitchen watching her bake,” he said. “She gave me my first French chef’s knife when I was 9 years old.”Skinner studied finance and economics in college to learn the business end of owning a restaurant; other than that, he is self-taught.In November, he opened Kemah restaurant Eculent — an un-usual concept in dining Skinner likes to call “cognitive cuisine.”“It’s a savory experience,” he said. “It’s about uniting food with a controlled atmosphere wherein all five senses are affected. Most people don’t realize that their taste buds are only responsible for about 20 percent of what they taste, because most of what you taste comes through your nasal cavity, so taste doesn’t really link the brain to memories — smell does.”Eculent boasts an on-site garden and a separate building hous-ing more than 500 jars containing ingredients such as mushroom powder, hickory smoke and dried hearts of palm.A maximum of 30 diners are served nine courses. Lighting, aromas, music and art change with each course. Eculent’s Coast-to-Coast menu features some innovative dishes, served with cognitive moods of the sea. An ocean scent might smell salty or briny; visuals might feature sailboats; music could be something with nautical lyrics or an instrumental with the sounds of seagulls and waves lapping on the shore.A recent dish, called Tide Pool, replicated a tide pool coming in, featuring edible sand, scallops, shrimp, octopus and purple cauliflower to resemble coral. Crab ravioli in a transparent film made from a seaweed derivative has been on the menu. A new dish coming soon is cold, raw oysters flavored with edible pearls. Eculent Aguachiles is a shrimp course often served at the res-taurant. It’s easy to make.“All of our shrimp come out of the Gulf,” Skinner said. “We use local vendors, like Rose’s in Seabrook.”ECULENT AGUACHILES INGREDIENTS6 very fresh jumbo headless shrimpSea salt4 Serrano chilies, stemmed and seeded1 cup iceFresh juice from 4 limesFresh juice from 1 lemon 1⁄2 teaspoon ground white pepper1 very thinly sliced red boiler onion1 very thinly sliced seedless cucumberMarigold petalsDIRECTIONSCut shrimp in half lengthwise and remove veins. Lightly sprinkle with sea salt and white pepper; set aside in refrigerator. In a blender, combine the chil-ies, ice and half the lime juice with a pinch of salt and blend thoroughly. Add 1⁄4 cup cold water and blend on high for another minute. Pour mixture through a fine strainer into a nonreactive metal bowl on ice. Take the strained bits of Serrano and reserve in another bowl. In a small bowl, add the lemon juice and the other 1⁄2 of the lime juice. Place the shrimp in the mixture and set aside to “cook” for about 5 minutes. Using a mandoline or a sharp knife, cut the red boiler onion in very thin slices and break apart the onion rings. Using the same mandoline or knife, slice the cucumber into very thin pieces about 5 to 6 inches long. Roll the cucumber slices into small circles about an inch wide so they fit inside the shrimp circles. Plate the dish in a small bowl or on a plate with a small center indention. Remove the shrimp from the cooking liquid. They should be pink; flesh should feel firm. Place both halves in the center of the plate, forming a circle. Place the rolled cucumber in the center of the shrimp and add a small dollop of the Ser-rano bits to the center. Place several red onion rings around the cucumber and shrimp. Add half the cooking liquid to the reserved Serrano water and pour enough in each bowl or plate to fill about 1⁄8 of an inch. Add marigold petals on top of the cucumber and serve immediately.16 COASTMONTHLY.COM / SEPTEMBER 2015 6502 Stewart Rd. Galveston, Texas 77551 T: 409.744.7000 ChunkyFunkyMonkey.com Exceptional Window Fashions & Design Custom Shutters, Blinds, Draperies & Fine Flooring Quality Upholstery Exclusive Wallpaper & Fabrics Turn-Key Prices on Stanley Furniture Skilled Design Services Home Renovation & RemodelsHunter Douglas Priority Dealer The Food IssueMeet the Chef: BRIAN PEPERRestaurant: Ocean Grille & Beach Bar, 1228 Seawall Blvd., GalvestonHometown: KatyKitchen tool he can’t live with- out: “My 10-inch Miyabi chef’s knife. I use it for everything; I don’t even use a boning knife, just my chef’s knife.” When not wearing his chef’s hat: “I’m a big-time golfer and play a lot at Moody Gardens. My handicap is a 7. I was a base-ball player before I became a chef.”PHOTOS BY STUART VILLANUEVAFormerly of Urban Kitchen, Costa Brava Bistro and Hotel ZaZa in Houston, Chef Brian Peper’s transition to Galveston has been an inspiring one, he said.One thing he noticed after moving to the island was that many coastal dishes were covered in cream sauces. “People do love that, but I’m more of a fan of farm-to-table fare,” he said. “I pick up fresh seafood every day from Katie’s Seafood Market. Plus, instead of starches, I prefer to use things like qui-noa, Israeli couscous and Brussels sprouts.” PAN-SEARED SCALLOPS SAUTÉED IN BROWN BUTTER AND THYMEServed with cold Israeli couscous salad and pan-fried Brussels sproutsINGREDIENTS1 extra large (U10) scallop1 tablespoon olive oil1⁄2 teaspoon salt1 tablespoon unsalted whole-milk butter1 sprig thymeDIRECTIONSRemove foot from scallop and place on a plate lined with paper towel. Air dry in refrigerator. In a sauté pan, add olive oil and turn on high heat. Place scallop in pan and turn temperature to low; sear to a golden brown. Drain oil and turn temperature to high, add butter and thyme. With a large spoon, gently baste scallop with butter and thyme. Finish in the broiler for 2 minutes. Peper makes good use of those ingredients when he whips up one of his favorite dishes: Pan-seared scallops sautéed in brown butter and thyme, served with cold Israeli couscous salad and pan-fried Brussels sprouts. The scallops are U10s: the “U” stands for “under,” indicating that it would take fewer than 10 or 15 of these to make up a pound, so they’re jumbo in size with a meaty, delicate flavor.If the seafood isn’t from the Gulf of Mexico, he doesn’t serve it, he said. Farm-raised tilapia or catfish isn’t on the menu. “We do have blackfin tuna in the Gulf, and that’s what we use for our flatbread dish,” he said. “We don’t bring in seafood from somewhere else. We’re willing to pay a bit more to actually give back to the community of Galveston with not just seafood, but with other items, like spices, which we get from Maceo Spice & Import Company. We also serve seasonal produce that we buy from local sources.” Even the ice cream served at Ocean Grille comes from Hey Mikey’s Ice Cream on Postoffice Street in the island’s downtown.Lovers of fried shrimp can get their fix here by ordering the Southern Son Shrimp Dog, a battered three-shrimp corn dog served with Tabasco Mash rémoulade. “It’s something different and a real reinvention of an all-time favorite,” Peper said. “We grind ramen noodles to a flour consis-tency for the batter, which adds a crisp coating.”This is beach dining at its best, right on the seawall, with indoor and outdoor options, offering fantastic Gulf of Mexico views. 18 COASTMONTHLY.COM / SEPTEMBER 2015Luxury High-RiseIndependent Living ResidencesNext >