Dishing it Out: Houston’s Best Seafood

by Laurette M. Veres

Houston is full of many wonderful places to dine – so many, in fact, that it can be difficult to know where to begin. Faced with such a full plate of options, it becomes a daunting task to sift through the city’s many eateries in order to separate the good from the truly excellent. With this in mind, we have attempted to break down for you some of our favorites, this month focusing on seafood. Some will tell you it’s politically incorrect to eat sea bass. But we say it’s hard to resist when such temptation knocks. Make up your own mind on that one, and take a look at what else we recommend as some of the best seafood dishes in town.

Chilean seabass – Ibiza

Not too long ago, there wasn’t a decent meal to be found in midtown. Thankfully, Ibiza has changed that. Most of the dishes have a Spanish flair that chef Charles Clark picked up from his travels abroad. My personal favorite is the oven roasted Chilean sea bass with mango essence and Rioja broth. It’s perfect with a side of risotto that includes crimini mushroom, grana cheese and white truffle oil.

Pancetta-wrapped rainbow trout – Rainbow Lodge

Boasting one of the most exotic menus in town, the Rainbow Lodge does not disappoint with the pancetta wrapped rainbow trout. The pancetta offers the perfect spicy complement to the light trout. It is served with roasted tomatoes and fried risotto cake.

Grilled filet of salmon with pistachio crust – Sierra Grill

The private herb garden at Sierra Grill always lets you know that you will have the freshest seasoning on your meal. The grilled filet of salmon is no exception. It is encrusted in a pistachio crust and served with a citrus sauce. It’s tangy, zippy and delicious.

Sea salt-encrusted italian sea bass – Tony’s

You’ll die for the sea salt-encrusted Italian sea bass at Tony’s called Branzino. It comes to your table covered in salt, and your waiter cracks the salt and pulls the fish out. Cooking in the salt creates a savory flavor that isn’t salty at all – it’s just plump, juicy and delicious.