Sunday
Heather and Brendan are here for the weekend, and Sunday brunch is on the menu for this morning. I believe in reservations, so I made them for a highly touted restaurant on the Seawall. Heather has never cared about reservations—she likes to wait—and wants to try a new bistro in downtown Galveston—Leeland House—that is recommended by her friend. I read the Leeland House reviews, Heather wins.
It is 10 am, with plans to leave for brunch at 11:00. Mother and daughter, father and son-in-law, relax in the spacious family room of our vacation rental, reliving last night’s dinner and the Pink Martini concert, which was wonderful.
Suddenly Heather decides it would be a good thing to leave a little early for the Leeland House Bistro—it is Sunday brunch.
Surprisingly I’m dressed and ready to go—all except my shoes. Within fifteen minutes, everyone else is ready to leave. I’m glad I dressed early; I could never be that fast.
Brunch at Leeland House
We find the two-story dark blue building that is the Leeland House with no trouble and are delighted to discover the adjacent parking lot—which is FULL. Almost. One tiny space is available way in the back. We slide in.
Expecting the restaurant to be overflowing, we discover there are quite a few tables for four that are vacant. We also discover that this is an order-at-the-counter, serve-yourself kind of place. The menu tempts—they have healthy for Heather and decadent for the rest of us. There is a discussion on moderation. We all agree to share an order of biscuits.
I’m not surprised that Michael orders biscuits and gravy, he always does. When his brunchy-breakfast is delivered, I can tell it is not his mother’s biscuits and gravy—nor the biscuits and gravy Michael cooks at home. This biscuit hides beneath a stack of decadence: fried chicken, cheddar cheese, scrambled eggs, and andouille sausage gravy. He will have to try very hard to uncover the biscuit at the bottom of the bowl.
Looking at the menu, I wanted to try everything. I could imagine all the tastes with the various options, but I chose brisket hash. When set before me, I discover tender brisket tossed with potatoes, cheddar cheese, and caramelized onion, topped with a perfectly cooked fried egg, and blanketed with a creamy cilantro sauce.
Taking a last sip of our coffee and finishing the last crumb of the tender biscuits with butter and berry-flavored jam, I notice that the restaurant is full and many customers are waiting for a table. I look at Heather and can tell we are thinking the same thing—it is a good thing we decided to leave the house earlier than planned.
Across the Street
The Leeland House is getting a bit noisy—and since the bill was paid before the food was delivered, we are ready to walk across the street and check out Maceo Spice and Import Company. Once there, we see a sign – Closed for a Private Function. Oh well, there is always tomorrow.
We walk on, peeking in the windows of Freckleberry Teahouse, and then step into Red Light Coffee Roasters. Heather orders an almond flat white. “What in the heck is that?” I ask.
“I’m not sure,” she says, “it’s like a latte, but it isn’t.”
Brendan drinks a refrigerated, bottled coffee made with lavender and honey. “It has an odd flavor—but I think I like it,” he says.
We exit the coffeehouse and sit in the sun, enjoying the ability to chat in peace.
Birds
Lafitte’s Cove
Heather and Brendan left for Houston, and the day is so sunny and blue and beautiful that Michael and I decide to drive eighteen minutes west to Lafitte’s Cove and stroll through the bird sanctuary for a while. Based on our visit here last January, we don’t expect to see too many birds—we know it is the wrong season—but the walkways are paved, and it is a pleasant diversion from the insanity and traffic of Galveston’s Seawall on the weekend.
The empty parking lot tells the tale—there are NO birds. It is a good thing we weren’t expecting to see any. But today, there are turtles, and I’ve never seen them here before. Perhaps the lack of clouds has beckoned them to venture forth, and leave their cozy hideaway. Their shells gleam in the warming sun like shiny armor. And the turtles don’t scurry or fly, making it easy to capture them in a photograph.
Approaching the jungle-like preserve, formerly a ranch, we watch a flock of white birds fly overhead, and land in the backyard of one of the large homes surrounding Lafitte’s Cove. The multitude of birds gives us hope, and we think—maybe. For naught. We walk and sit and talk and be, enjoying the moment—sans birds.
The White Ibis
Leaving, we meet another couple as they wander down the path toward the urban forest. Pointing toward the east, I tell them, “The only birds you will probably see today are across the pond in that backyard.”
Michael decides we should circle back the way we came and see if we can get closer to the birds in the backyard. Impossible! Returning to where we started, Michael stops. Lifting his camera, he hopes his lens is powerful enough to capture the white feathered flock of what he thinks are egrets. They take flight before he can snap his first picture. Maybe this is better, I think. I snap away too, surprised I capture anything—they are way too fast!
We follow their path across the sky and watch as they land on a small strip of land that edges a canal winding its way through the oasis of neat homes and manicured lawns.
Sitting on a small patch of grass, we watch the birds as they flap their wings. Landing. Bathing. Water flying. Stopping. Some stand in the water. Studying the group of birds, Michael says, “Those aren’t egrets.”
We discover we are watching the antics of a flock of white ibis—wading birds, doing what they were born to do. Wade in water at the edge of marshy grasses.
The Beach
On our way home, we pass by a public access to the beach near the Tipsy Turtle Beachside Bar & Grill. “Do you want to go to the beach,” Michael asks.
“Why not?” I reply.
We stop and walk. We collect shells. Walk and talk some more and collect more shells until my hands are so full that I can hold no more.
To learn more about Leeland House click on the following link:
https://www.leelandhousegtx.com/
To learn more about Lafitte’s Cove click on the following links:
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