As much as I enjoy cooking, I also enjoy the opportunity to go out for a good meal. In the Jan. 18 issue, I shared with you my favorite things I cooked in 2025. Today, I’m going to tell you about some of my favorite meals that I enjoyed in restaurants last year.
Reviewing the list, it consists of four seafood dishes, two brunch-type dishes, two different versions of “loaded fries” (which I didn’t realize was a thing) and one barbecue outing.
In March, Mother and I traveled to Austin to pick up Daughter and bring her home for spring break. It was the perfect opportunity to introduce Mother to one of my favorite restaurants in Austin – Moonshine Patio Bar & Grill located at 303 Red River St. Having eaten there numerous times, and having enjoyed everything I’ve ever ordered there, this time I opted for the blackened catfish which came topped with crawfish, hot sauce, pecan meunière and stone ground grits on the side. It did not disappoint. Every bite was delicious.
The last week of July we spent a few days in Galveston soaking up the sun, sand and surf before Daughter headed back to school the first week in August. We selected a restaurant we’d never eaten at before – Nick’s Kitchen and Beach Bar at 3802 Seawall Blvd. – and loved it so much that we went back a second time before our trip was over. The first night we were there I ordered blackened shrimp tacos with a side of grilled vegetables. It was all very good, but those grilled vegetables may be the best I’ve ever had. I’m not sure what they were seasoned with or marinated in, but they were excellent.
On our subsequent trip to Nick’s a couple nights later, I selected the panko-encrusted blue crab cakes that were served with a summer arugula and corn salad and house-made remoulade sauce. It was a perfectly delightful summertime meal and the super garlicky vinaigrette that dressed the arugula and corn salad was to die for if you’re a garlic lover like I am.
When we dined at Miller’s Seawall Grill at 1824 Seawall Blvd., a favorite of ours since Hubby’s and my dating days, I ordered “The 16” which was 16 medium shrimp – half fried and half grilled – with hushpuppies and a baked potato. Basic? Yes, but come on! Sometimes basic is best, especially when it comes to shrimp, hushpuppies and a baked potato.
The two brunch-type dishes I enjoyed the most last year both came from Kerbey Lane Cafe at 2606 Guadalupe St. in Austin. One was called a Texas Benedict. It was two poached eggs, grilled Texas wagyu beef, avocado, queso and pico de gallo served atop housemade cornbread and your choice of a breakfast side. (I think I selected roasted sweet potatoes.) Oh my goodness! There’s nothing better than a good Benedict and while I love the various iterations, I’d have never thought to put it on cornbread but it was simply delicious!
Another brunch I enjoyed at Kerbey Lane Cafe was so rich and decadent that I could only finish half of it. Called chicken and pancakes, it was a fried chicken breast on top of cinnamon beignet pancakes and topped with maple buffalo sauce and powdered sugar. The combination of maple syrup and buffalo sauce was surprisingly delicious – sweet, hot and tangy all at the same time. I’d order it again, but only if someone would split it with me.
As I mentioned earlier, I hadn’t really realized that loaded fries were a thing, but evidently they are. I had my first at Pit Row Pit Stop on the Lake at 150 Emerald Ln. in Onalaska. It was a heaping pile of crinkle-cut fries smothered in nacho cheese with your choice of meat (chopped beef, rib meat or grilled chicken) and topped with onions, jalapenos and shredded cheese.
My second foray into loaded fries was at Rodeo Goat at 2105 Dallas St. in Houston. It was another heaping pile of cheddar, bacon and jalapenos over a large helping of hand-punched fries. Both of these pair quite nicely with an ice cold beer or other cold beverage of your choice.
Rounding out my list of my favorite meals eaten out in 2025 is a family style meal we enjoyed at Black’s Barbecue at 3110 Guadalupe in Austin. We ordered a pound of beef brisket and a pound of pork spare ribs to share and each of us selected our own side. Hubby went with Norma Jean’s Beans, Daughter selected mac & cheese (no surprise there) and I opted for garlic butter green beans.
I promise we really did go to other places last year besides Austin, Galveston, Houston and Onalaska. I guess it’s just a coincidence that these happened to be my favorite meals out. I’ll try to broaden our travels a little bit in 2026.
