Rudy & Paco – A Latin American Restaurant
On a cold, cloudy afternoon in January, looking at Rudy & Paco Restaurant and Bar on Postoffice Street, the dark gray exterior and solid black door make it seem mysterious. Private. Secret. A gentleman’s club of old. Crossing the road and opening the door, we are the first to arrive for 5 pm dinner reservations; smiles and a warm welcome greet our entrance to this quiet oasis.
The interior is black and white and elegant. Seated at a table tucked in a corner at the front of the house, we immediately begin to feel like pampered guests. Our server for the evening greets us with, “Good evening Mr. and Mrs. Caldwell.” Now, how often does that happen in a restaurant where you don’t know a soul and have only visited once, years before?
Drinks and Rudy & Paco Complimentary Snacks
The dinner menu is extensive. The cocktail and wine selections are equally as long. Michael wants a red wine, and since they have it, we order a bottle of The Prisoner. I want something bubbly for my appetizer; they have a split of champagne. Perfect. Michael requests an Old Fashioned — always good, always slightly different — his new favorite.
While trying to decide on an appetizer, we nibble on the complimentary, paper-thin, crisply fried plantains; to dip the chip, we alternate between a dark chimichurri and a Pico de Gallo, touched with a hint of sweetness. Spooning a generous serving of the sauce onto each strip before popping one into our mouth is also a very good option. There is no competition between flavors — the plantain is only a vehicle to deliver the sauce.
A First Course Dilemma
Because I am torn between a crab cake or crab bisque for my first course, our server tells me how each is prepared. A lobster base for the bisque, reduced to the point of being a flavor bomb and kissed with cream, sells me immediately. Especially when I learn the crab cake consists of half a pound of crab. I want to have room for an entrée. Michael always knew what he wanted. Crab bisque with no questions asked. When delivered, the bisque is heavenly. Rich and decadent. The crab is meltingly tender. The dry, fizzy, bubbly champagne is the perfect counterpoint for the richness of the dish.
All of this leads me to ask myself why I delayed until the last few days of our month-long stay in Galveston to eat at Rudy & Paco. While we wait to order our entrée, I make reservations for lunch on Thursday. My phone and Open Table exist for a reason.
Looking across the room, I witness a first in my many restaurant excursions. Two of the four individuals at a table next to the wall must have ordered martinis; two servers are standing before two V-shaped glasses and each holds an individual-sized cocktail shaker high above their head. They shake the liquid within until ice-cold; then, they pour in unison and serve the food to each guest in unison. Someone somewhere is conducting this silent symphony of efficiency; I wonder who?
Twin Entrée’s
When our server asks what Mr. and Mrs. Caldwell would like for their dinner, Michael and I choose the same entrée. The special of the day, a parmesan encrusted red snapper served with a caper sundried tomato cream sauce topped with crab, accompanied by roasted fingerling potatoes and broccolini.
Our entrée is better than good; it is outstanding. Delicious. Fresh, flaky, red snapper with the crispy parmesan coating is perfectly balanced by the meltingly tender crab and decadently rich creamy sauce. It is as rich as Croesus; the richness balanced by the humble potato and the baby broccoli that accompanies it. I try to eat the whole thing. But I fail. Michael doesn’t have the same problem.
Rudy & Paco win in the taste, texture, and flavor wars that many other restaurants seem to lose. Paco comes by to see if our meal is satisfactory. I tell him, “I’ve already made reservations for lunch on Thursday.” We both smile.
Paco’s Award Winning Bread Pudding
Because we ordered a heavy red wine, we decide to enjoy a glass or two after finishing our entrée since we barely touched it while eating the snapper. This lovely wine is like having another course before we think about dessert, which I can’t believe we are thinking about at all.
Even though I am stuffed to the gills, not finishing my bisque or entrée, I succumb to the temptation of prolonging the evening. Based on my server’s recommendation, I order bread pudding. And it is not just any bread pudding, but Paco’s award-winning bread pudding served with house-made caramel sauce kissed with bourbon and generously sprinkled with crushed pecans. Of course, it is good.
After Michael signs the credit card receipt, and before we get up to leave, our server places our leftover wine — containing a healthy dose of Prisoner still in the bottle — into a discreet black Rudy & Paco people-bag to carry it back home.
I can’t wait until lunch on Thursday.
Rudy & Paco Restaurant and Bar
- Address:
- 2028 Postoffice St, Galveston, TX 77550
- Hours:
- Monday – Thursday
- Lunch – 11 am – 2 pm
- Dinner – 5 – 9 pm
- Friday & Saturday
- Lunch – 11 am – 2 pm
- Dinner – 5 – 10 pm
- Monday – Thursday
- Website:
- Phone:
- Reservations Required:
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