On a whim, I decided that I wanted to finally try this place out. Newer than some on the restaurant circuit here in Austin, Perla's offers fresh fish and seafood along with a nice cocktail menu. We went on a Friday night, so it was crowded with an almost two-hour wait. I do not mind waiting, though, especially on weekends. Waiting indicates to me that the restaurant is good. My husband is not so convinced, though, so after waiting about 20 minutes, we decide to eat at one of the smaller bar tables. Great choice. Our waiter was just as attentive and the ambience mirrored the dining room floor. I highly recommend it if you can snag one of the few tables or do not mind sitting at the bar.
My husband had his classic drink, the Manhattan, which was served with a bing cherry at the bottom which was a nice surprise. I found a lovely Rose on the menu, which was perfect with my food. For dinner I had the red snapper, which was perfectly cooked and seasoned, and then laid on a bed of lemon spinach and spicy sofrito (basically a tomato gravy or stew, for my southern friends). It was excellent! I can still taste it and I am determined to try and recreate the dish at home. My husband had the Bluebonnet Farms salad with mint, almonds, radish, and lemon vinaigrette. Yum! We also shared sides of the shells and cheese and wood grilled asparagus with hollandaise. Let me tell you, the shells and cheese might be one of the best things I have ever put in my mouth. Seriously, this is not your Mom’s mac and cheese. The shells and cheese were perfectly cooked, and then a breadcrumb crust was baked on top. I could eat this every single day.
We were totally satiated after the amazing dinner, but decided that we had to have dessert, in light of the fantastic meal and drinks. The compromise was a lemon tart with fresh blackberries and chocolate sorbet. First let me say, the tart was amazing, probably one of the best I have ever had. BUT, the chocolate sorbet was the stuff of dreams. This sorbet was a dark chocolate with just the right amount of sugar added to make you want more. It was so rich and creamy; we almost thought we were eating ice cream. It had such an affect and my husband and me that we are buying an ice cream maker this week.
Perla’s is a can’t miss. If you love seafood, you have to check it out. It’s not your crab-shell napkin kinda place, though, so I would wear something snazzy and take your girl or your guy on date night. We are already planning our next visit, but this time, we are going to try out their fresh oyster bar and the fried blackberry pie with candied basil!
