< Previous70 COASTMONTHLY.COM | AuguST 2019SEASIDE STYLEHOLLY LILLEYstory by SUE MAYFIELD GEIGER photos by CHRIS KUHLMANHolly Lilley and her hus-band, Keith, both have an affinity for the Big Easy. So, opening Marais, a New Or-leans-inspired restaurant in Dickinson, was only fitting.Their League City home is close by, which is a good thing, because they spend most of their waking hours at Marais and their other restaurant, Dickinson Bar-B-Que. Holly Lilley prefers to be behind the scenes, taking care of permits and administrative work, she said. Before the restaurants, she worked in retail, was a paralegal and a stay-at-home mom caring for her two sons.Holly Lilley enjoys walking Galveston beaches and likes to wind down at Maceo Spice & Import Co. for that downtown island restaurant’s famous muffulettas.“One day, we’ll have a house in Galveston close to all our favorite places,” she said.Describing her fashion style as “conserva-tive casual,” Lilley likes to wear shorts, T-shirts and sundresses in the summer, she said. Oyster plate: When we were building Marais, I started collecting oyster plates. They were very popular in 1890-1910, and we have about 30 on display. This one is my favorite.Barware: I also collect mid-century barware, and this was my first set — six glasses with matching ice bucket from a shop on Royal Street in New Orleans.Swizzle stick: This is a Cartier 1930s swizzle stick worn around the necks of ladies during that era. It was unbecoming for wealthy women to belch while drinking Champagne, so they would stir it, making it go flat. Adelaide Brennan, of the Brennan Restaurant clan in New Orleans, wore a swizzle stick.Shoes: I got these in Maui several years ago. The wooden heels have been hand-carved and the upper material is beaded with a floral design. They aren’t that comfortable to wear, but I fell in love with them anyway.Ring: This is my grandmother’s wedding ring from 1940. Al-though she had it repurposed later on, it’s a real treasure to have.Dog statue: I used to breed and show schipperkes. This is a Sandicast replica of Harley, our last show dog. He lived to be almost 18 years old.Seaside carvings: I got these tagua nut carvings at the Ocean Star Offshore Drilling Rig & Museum in galveston. The tagua palm tree is native to Ecuador, and a renewable resource. In a single year, the tree can produce up to 20 pounds of nuts.Watch: This is my first Mova-do watch given to me by my husband over 20 years ago. It’s a harmony bracelet bangle with mother of pearl face that I wear often. It’s sentimental to me. COASTMONTHLY.COM | AuguST 2019 71 5105 Broadway St Galveston, TX 409.443.5159 www.SunRayPatio.com OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK Gliders Finch Poly Furniture - Feel The Difference! Fire Tables Fire Pits & Ice Pits Daybed Sectionals 72 COASTMONTHLY.COM | AuguST 2019Mikeala Lott pours a frozen mojito at Rum Shack, one of five venues at The Spot in Galveston. The frozen mojito is one of three signature frozen drinks at Rum Shack. COASTMONTHLY.COM | AuguST 2019 73DOWN THE HATCHON ICEYears ago, frozen cocktails got a cold reception, but now they’re on firestory by MARK G HANNA photos by KELSEY WALLINGCocktails and water have a com-plicated relationship.They can’t live without each other, yet they perform a deli-cate dance of who’s in charge.A little water can enhance a drink by smoothing its harsher qualities. A little more can rob it of all character.Frozen water — ice — can steal away all the qualities that make a good liquor exceptional, yet, a lot of it can transform one normal cocktail into something altogether new and exceptional.Take, for example, the whole family of drinks known as frozen or slushie cocktails. Most common among these along the Third Coast are margaritas, piña coladas and daiquiris, although bars and restau-rants across the spectrum find creative ways to invent frozen drinks of their own. In recent years, there’s been a resurgence of frozen wine drinks as well.The Spot, a bar and restaurant complex with five separate venues at 3204 Seawall Blvd. in Galves-ton, sells frozen cocktails all year round, said Jeff Schurwon, complex beverage director. At one of the venues, Rum Shack, there are three signature frozen cocktails, plus a dozen more options for adding flavors and fruits. One drink is the Dirty Monkey, a frozen piña colada with banana cream and a floater of Myers Dark Rum.“Next to the margarita, our frozen mojito is the most popular frozen drink,” Schurwon said. “It is one of the drinks we have to make in large batch-es to keep up. One of the things we have done to make it more of a signature drink is we take fresh mint and finely purée it right into the drink. It really brings out a great flavor.”Not all cocktail lovers have warm feelings for frozen drinks. Some, especially tequila champions, actually abhor the idea of slushie concoctions. Still, is there a better way to loosen the stranglehold of a Texas summer than a bit of shade with an icy liquor-laced snowball in a glass?74 COASTMONTHLY.COM | AuguST 2019DOWN THE HATCHAlthough the popularity of frozen drinks is fairly recent on the cocktail timeline, their existence is not. Many cultures in China and Japan recorded the pleasures of shaved ice mixed with different syrups and intoxicants as far back as the seventh century. Ancient cultures in South America had similar drinks.In the southern United States, the idea of putting ice in a drink to make it cold was almost unheard of until the early 19th cen-tury when two Boston brothers concocted the idea of harvesting ice in the winter and shipping it south, first to the Caribbean to sell in the summer. Their fellow Bostonians scoffed that the ice would never survive the sea voyage, but to everyone’s surprise, it did with little loss. Unfortunately for the brothers, they had lots of ice but no cus-tomers who had any idea what good it was or interest in buying it. It took years of hard financial times, a break up in the partnership and a lot of imaginative marketing before the ice business became successful. And where the enjoyment of a cold drink in the heat of summer in the South became less an oddity, the invention of what was probably the first American frozen cocktail soon followed — the mint julep.Because it contained refined sugar and good bourbon served in a silver goblet of shaved ice, the mint julep was considered a symbol of wealth. Being a summer drink, it was mixed with muddled mint, an herb in abundance, and sipped through a straw.Other frozen drinks did not soon follow. In fact, the popularity of frozen drinks was almost nonexistent until a century later. In 1938, a man named Fred Waring approached a well-known home economist named Mabel Stegner with a contraption he had purchased called the electric blender. It was a machine that had been around since the 1920s, but it had never caught the public’s fancy, proba-bly because it was irritatingly noisy, not all that reliable and was frighteningly danger-ous to use. Stegner was interested, but with refinements needed, World War II and post-war adjustments, it wasn’t until 1952 that she produced a book of recipes specifically for the blender. One was a recipe for making frozen strawberry daiquiris.The frozen margarita appeared as sales of blenders skyrocketed and their popularity followed suit. Restaurants picked up on the trend and furthered sales. That’s where the story of Mariano Martinez, the owner and operator of Mariano’s Mexican Cuisine in Dallas, comes in. His signature frozen mar-garita sales in the 1970s were so brisk the blender was constantly overheating and the bartenders were standing in line waiting to get the drinks made. Late one night, he was buying a frozen drink at a convenience store and concocted the idea of using the frozen drink machine to make margaritas. The rest of that part is history.In the endless pursuit of convenience, grocery and liquor stores today are selling frozen cocktail kits, including an expanding variety of bagged, pre-made slushie drinks that contain the alcohol.Frozen drinks aren’t just for the South anymore either. The Food Network recently rounded up frozen drinks from all 50 states and Washington, D.C., and presented drinks like the Blood Orange Agave Float in Ore-gon, the Bourbon Milkshake in Kentucky, the Cherry Bomb Frose in Georgia and the Frozen Absinthe Frappe in Maryland. North Carolina offered Black Street Beets and Ha-waii served a Frozen Coconut Mojito, while Colorado came up with the Frozen Blackber-ry Sage Smash. The feature certainly showed that frozen is hot.An exciting thing for the home mixer is that experimentation with frozen drinks can be fun. Almost any cocktail can be made into a frozen drink with only a few tweaks. Naturally, fresh fruit works great as do most herbs and spices. The frozen nature of the drink does diminish the taste of alcohol, so keep that in mind when choosing the liquor. But the types of drinks are limitless. Dennis Byrd, owner of five venues at The Spot, created this and many of the other signature drinks served. This frozen cocktail is usually made in large batches.RUM SHACK FROZEN MOJITOServings: 1 2 cups crushed ice 2 ounces Flor de Caña gold Rum ½ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice 1 ounce simple syrup 2 ounces soda 8-10 fresh mint leaves, puréed 1 mint sprig for garnishPLACE the first six ingredients in a blender, stir to mix and then blend until slushy. Pour into a cocktail glass and garnish with a mint sprig.The frozen mojito is the second most popular drink at Rum Shack on Seawall Boulevard in Galveston. COASTMONTHLY.COM | AuguST 2019 75www.prepaidfunerals.texas.govFUNERAL HOME AND CEMETERY LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE GREATER HOUSTON AREA, INCLUDING:When you plan ahead, you can design every detail of your own final tribute. When you’re ready to get started, we’re here to help.Call today to get started on a personalized plan.FOREST PARK EASTFuneral Home & Cemetery WEBSTER > 281-332-3111 DignityHouston.com <an unforgettable memorial takes planning.september 27-28, 2019 downtown strand districtwww.galvestonislandshrimpfestival.comgumbo tasting, boat show, 5k fun run/walk, live music, lil’ shrimps parade & more!DISCOUNT TICKETS ON SALE NOW! LIMITED TIME ONLY!10th annual76 COASTMONTHLY.COM | AuguST 2019TABLE SURFINGCATCH OF THE DAYFrom shacks to swanky venues, these restaurants know seafoodcompiled by ANGELA WILSONThe upper Texas coast is revered for some of the eateries with scenic views. Here are just as few.ALLEN’S CREOLETraditional mainstays such as fried and stuffed shrimp, fish, bou-din balls, crab balls, gumbo and étouffée are available at this drive-through-style restaurant, which is open Thursdays through Sundays. Try the fried pickles, too. Thirsty? There are “daiquiris to go” in varieties such as “Wicked City,” “Attitude Adjustment” and “Long Island Ice Tea,” just to name a few.2501 Ave. D, Dickinson, 281.967.7360BENNO’S ON THE BEACHLocals flock to this long-time casual eatery with gulf views. So do tourists after a day at the beach. gulf shrimp. Blue crabs. Fried crab fingers. Blackened oysters. It’s all there.1200 Seawall Blvd., Galveston, 409.762.4621BLVD. SEAFOODget your seafood and beach views at this island favorite, which is open for lunch, happy hour and dinner. And there’s brunch, too. Share the crab stuffed shrimp bites or shrimp and quail kisses before digging into seafood entrées like the N’Awlins or Waterfront samplers.28th Street and Seawall Boulevard, Galveston, 409.762.2583FISH COMPANY TACOThe motto at this island neighborhood eatery is “Surround yourself with tacos, not negativity.” The owner handpicks the locally sourced seafood daily. Fish Company Taco has garnered acclaim for its fusion of different culinary cultures, including Vietnamese, Korean and Mexican. The gumbo is a must-try.1914 23rd St., Galveston, 409.220.3245 COASTMONTHLY.COM | AuguST 2019 77(Clockwise from top) Stuffed red snapper with grilled shrimp and vegetables at Valdo’s Seafood House in El Lago. Tookie’s Seafood’s Grilled Oyster Trio features six oysters prepared in three varieties. Gilhooley’s house specialty Oysters Gilhooley. (Opposite page) Seafood gumbo at Little Daddy’s Gumbo Bar features shrimp, crab and oysters.photos by KELSEY WALLING and STUART VILLANUEVA78 COASTMONTHLY.COM | AuguST 2019TABLE SURFINGFISH PLACE SEAFOOD CAFÉStart off with a batch of stuffed jalapeños or shrimp cocktail at this mainland gem renowned for Cajun-style seafood creations. Then head for the sea-food gumbo, grilled redfish, crawfish tails and those popular baked potatoes with various toppings.2702 22nd St., Dickinson, 281.534.0505GAIDO’S SEAFOOD RESTAURANTIt turns out, 1911 was a good year for coastal Texans. It was the year air-conditioning was invented and gaido’s Seafood Restaurant opened in galveston. The granddaddy of all seafood restaurants on the island and about anywhere else, gaido’s is elegant, historic and serious about its seafood. It’s also known for the giant crab atop the building. gaido’s offers locally sourced foods with white-tablecloth service. Try the Red Snapper Michael and the baked oysters. And don’t pass on the famous pecan pie.3802 Seawall Blvd., Galveston, 409.761.5500GILHOOLEY’SPeople drive to this dive from Austin and beyond for the buttery, garlicky, cheesy oysters cooked over a pit. Try the bivalves prepared in a variety of ways at this famous oyster bar.222 Ninth St., San Leon, 281.339.3813LITTLE DADDY’S GUMBO BARThe roux is renowned at this homegrown restau-rant, where gumbo is king. gumbo servings are generous, but leave some room for po-boys and barbecue shrimp, served with toast to “sop up the famous sauce.”2107 Postoffice St., Galveston, 409.744.8626; 1615. W. FM 646, League City, 281.524.8626NOAH’S ARK BAR & GRILLWith its island-theme décor and tiki hut rooftops, Noah’s Ark Bar & grill knows how to do seafood and tropical ambience. Shrimp lovers are fond of Noah’s Shrimp Boat. This restaurant comes with bay views. Call ahead for live music schedules.4438 Boulevard St., Bacliff, 281.339.2895OPUS OCEAN GRILLEThe seafood and the scenery make this restaurant perfect for any occasion, whether it’s girls’ Night Out or a romantic dinner for two. Opus does it all well — oysters on the half shell, Alaskan King crab, crab stuffed jalapeños, Cajun shrimp and grits and more. Feeling leisurely? Saturday and Sunday brunch features crab cake sliders and Boudin Benedict.1510 Marina Bay Drive, Suite 124, Clear Lake Shores, 281.334.0006THE REEF SEAFOOD HOUSEThis locally owned and operated seafood joint has been around for 35 years for a reason — the kitchen is skilled in the art of fried shrimp, oysters, catfish and more. There’s also a full-service bar and an enclosed patio dining area.1301 31½ St. N., Texas City, 409.945.6151SHRIMP ’N STUFFWant to eat where the locals eat? Follow them to Shrimp ‘N Stuff, which has been around since 1976. Fan favorites include the coconut shrimp, huge po-boys and the heavenly hushpuppies. Save room for dessert. The Key lime pie is a crowd favorite.3901 Ave. O, 409.763.2805; and 25th and Ball streets, Galveston, 409.974.4609TOOKIE’S SEAFOODTookie’s Seafood has three distinct rooms: There’s the main dining room, called the Kitchen because patrons get a direct view into the kitchen; there’s the Shuck Room, which is the oyster bar area; and the Treehouse, a garage door patio that’s fully air-conditioned or heated, depending on the weather. undecided about what to order? You can’t go wrong with any of the grilled oyster options or the Texas-inspired Shrimp and State grits. 1106 Bayport Drive, Seabrook, 281.942.9445TOPWATER GRILLWhat’s not to love at a seafood restaurant where the slogan is “you hook it, we cook it”? Bring in your fresh catch of the day and TopWater will cook it any way you’d like. Not a fisherman? No wor-ries. Open-flame grilled oysters, seafood gumbo, crab and corn chowder and fish tacos also are on deck. Did we mention the waterfront views?815 Ave. O, San Leon, 281.339.1232VALDO’S SEAFOOD HOUSEThis seafood eatery with a Mexican flair features such fare as stuffed red snapper, fried seafood and chargrilled oysters on the half shell. Its popu-lar stuffed flounder covered in Pontchartrain sauce is a fan favorite. Take your appetite though — the plates are big and economically priced. And, if you want drinks with your meal, Valdo’s has some of the best margaritas in town.4106 NASA Parkway, Suite C, El Lago, 281.326.3866 photo by KELSEY WALLINGThe fried fish plate from Shrimp ‘N Stuff Downtown in Galveston includes shrimp, fish, oysters and hushpuppies. COASTMONTHLY.COM | AuguST 2019 79 tookiesseafood.com • Seabrook, TX 77586Community is TrustCommunity is LocalCommunity is CoastalMain Office2302 Church Street, Galveston, TX 77550409-765-6067 • 800-256-0831Fax 409-765-9853La Marque Branch6708 Gulf FreewayLa Marque, TX 77568Galveston Branch6811 Stewart RoadGalveston, TX 77551Caring for this Community since 1957Next >