Texas Food

Shrimp Diablo Coconut Shrimp with Mango Sauce

These appetizers were my lunch at Water Street Seafood Company, 309 N. Water Street, Corpus Christi 361-881-9448

Both presentations were appealing -- baguette slices marinating in a delicious sauce and the big slice of pineapple holding the coconut shrimp skewers, surrounded by "confetti" colored taco strips. You have to look closely, but there's a little round dish in the center of the pineapple slice that holds the mango sauce.

The Diablo sauce was so good that I took what was left "home" to cousin Robert's house with us. Next morning, I used the "hot" olive oil to cook scrambled eggs; warmed the brown dredges (probably chili and paprika and garlic powders with a pinch of sugar and possibly a shake of habanero chili powder) to put on top of the finished eggs.

Pier 99, 2822 N. Shoreline Blvd, Corpus Christi 361-887-0764 pier99restaurant.com

We split an order of bacon-wrapped jalapeno shrimp and it could be made at home using fresh shrimp -- lay a strip of jalapeno where the nasty black vein was; wrap the shrimp in about 1 1/2 in. bacon and bake in the overn until the bacon's crisp. (Majorly sure they deep-fat fry theirs...)

Pappadeaux, 2121 Airport Freeway, Bedford, TX 817-571-4696. pappadeaux.com They had a special going -a 12 shrimp cocktail for $3.95 and the shrimp were in the 25-30 count size. There was some confusion later - Richie ordered the lobster bisque and I ordered a cup of the crawfish bisque, but the waiter got distracted and brought us both bowls of crawfish bisque. No matter; it was good. The waiter was good enough to charge us both only for cups, not bowls.

On The Border, 2500 Airport Freeway, Bedford, TX 817-540-0777 This has become our traditional picking us up at DFW place. Barbara likes the sangria margarita and we like icy cold Pacificos after a flight. Their brisket tacos are very good and I recommend them. The at-your-table-made guacamole is good as is the queso dipping sauce.