Gaidos in Galveston, Texas

Seafood Near the Seawall
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Don and I recently spent a week in Galveston so I figured I should at least share one seafood dining experience.  There are lots of curious places to dine along Seawall Boulevard, so why did I pick this place?  Maybe it's the giant crab on the roof. I love that thing.

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The Poop Deck?
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We've laughed about it for years. You can't drive by, without looking up to see the tattered US flag waving, next to the Statue of Liberty with her peeling silver paint.  This photo was taken early morning so there are no bikers lined up along the railing.  But there were some colorful characters by afternoon when we climbed the steps in the musty stairwell to the deck.  

We've laughed about it for years.  You can't drive by without looking up to see the We chatted with our waitress wearing her sailor hat and made a toast to the nude mermaid mural nearby.  But we couldn't bring ourselves to order food at a place with poop in the name.

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Hotel Galvez
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This would have been a heavenly choice in comparison.  I love the look of this grand hotel and the stories about it being haunted.  We had drinks in the lobby lounge near the elegant dining room.  We applauded the piano player who seemed as bored as the few sitting on bar stools.  I'm sure the seafood is top notch, but we tipped our piano man and decided to save dinner for a livelier night.

Jimmy's on the Pier

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We did actually have a pretty darn delicious meal at Jimmy's one evening.  Eating fish tacos while watching fishermen below on the pier is pretty awesome.  I also must say I love the colorful lifeguard chairs! However,  I saved my review for the place that has been serving seafood since 1911!

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Good Old Gaido's
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There's a little dated nautical going on at Gaido's and you have to be okay with that.  If you don't like walking in the door and being greeted by lots of rope and brass as well as a gigantic gift & shell shop that looks like it hasn't changed since the 1960's, then turn around.  But this is part of the appeal to me. I'm all for a little retro.  Although I would have preferred the original Gaido's that first opened across the street on a pier over the water.  But that was many hurricanes ago.

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​Family Stuff

​Usually there's a long wait for a table at lunch or dinner, but there's lots to look at while you kill time.  I happen to love other people's stuff.  I remember getting bogged down house hunting because I'd get too busy staring at the framed portraits and all the doodads that hinted at the seller's personality.  

So Gaido's feels like an old home.  I like all the cases of memorabilia and the family portraits that clutter the walls and Cupie's cut glass collection. (Love that name!)  The Gaido's have owned this restaurant for over 100 years, so there's lots too look at. 

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​Where is Everyone?  

I love the people watching at Gaido's.  On past visits, the restaurant was usually packed. Local families and friends gathered around the tables, with their white linens. I remember seeing birthday celebrations and romantic diners... Even in the day, there was always wait to be seated. 

The tourists are easy to spot in their flip-flops and  sunburns.  (I choose to be amused instead of annoyed by the combination of white cloths and tacky tee shirts.) In  the past Don and I have  marveled at the skill of the professional waiters in their black vests and ties,  maneuvering around the tables with martini  glasses and trays of steaming  seafood.  But it was a quiet evening at Gaido's.  Good, maybe Don and I could spend more time chatting with our waiter and learn more about the history of this Galveston icon.

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Cheers to Carl
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After Don and I were seated, we scanned the dining room hoping for an older waiter who was a part of Gaido history and had stories to tell, even if he wouldn't.  But our waiter Carl was about 25 years old and had just started working at Gaido's.  When Don ordered a Manhattan, he seemed confused.  When we asked for food suggestions, he had to think a long while. He hovered a bit much...with a sly, Norman Bates smile.  So we got a newbie waiter... but he was a good guy.  He certainly wasn't a know it all, intimidating waiter,  you can tell by our expressions when he took our photo.

Gossip

​Carl may have been new, but he was able to answer lots of our questions.  He praised Michael Carl Gaido who now runs the restaurant.  

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The family did not just hand the restaurant over to Michael.  He graduated from The Culinary Institute of America and proved his worth with other restaurants before taking over.  Carl said he was hands on in the kitchen, at the tables, working side by side at all levels. Sadly he was off that night.  Don was brave enough to bring up the Fertitta family, another well-known Galveston family in the restaurant biz.  Galveston is small enough that there were probably Fertitta kids and Gaido kids in school together bickering about which family made the best desserts.  I can only imagine the family gossip when Tilman Fertitta began buying big names like Landry's and Golden Nugget Casinos. But Carl said Tilman actually dines at Gaido's now and then.  I was pleasantly surprised to hear that.

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​Hurricane Ike

I'm sure every family in Galveston could write a book on storm memories.  Whether it's a story of great grandma surviving the hurricane in 1900 that killed 6,000, or recent stories about how many feet of water they had in their house during Ike.  Carl may have been a new employee, but he knew all about the Ike devastation in 2008 and how the restaurant pulled the tables into the parking lot and fed all the first responders.  "They even used table cloths!" Carl said.  I didn't believe him till I found this picture on the internet.

And the Food?
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I guess I should mention the seafood.  We chose pretty basic stuff, fried shrimp and scampi, but it was excellent.  The batter was so light and the homemade sauces were tangy and creamy.  The wedge salad with blue cheese was chunky and flavorful without overpowering.  The thousand island was fresh on top of my mix of greens and veggies.   A perfect Galveston meal.

One Last Thing

​We asked Carl one more question. "So where's the local business crowd.  We expected to see more regulars on a weeknight."  He reminded us that there was a members only club. Hmmmm?  

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So that's where the real regulars go who don't want to see the flip flops and beach  shirts.  (can you blame them?) But just when I was getting up the nerve to ask to take a peek, he told us no one was in the club that night.  He admitted members were aging a bit...not showing up like they used to.  He encouraged us with a laugh,  "It's not that expensive to join."  I bet it was back in the day.  I would have like to have peeked into that Members Club in the 1960's.  Guess I'll have to just do my peeking in the gift shop.

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