Perla’s Restaurant Review by Guest Blogger Betsy Goldin Becker
I grew up on the Mississippi Gulf Coast and can’t think of a more satisfying meal than a plate of fresh local seafood paired with an ice cold beer. In lovely yet land-locked Austin, a meal like that is virtually impossible to come by. So needless to say, I was excited to check out Perla’s, hopeful it would help fill my homesick yearnings for the fresh and flavorful fruits of the sea.
We were even paid a short visit by the iconic, lovable, local celebrity, Leslie, who shared a few laughs and dirty Jesus jokes. Overall, I really dug the scene; it made me happy and relaxed, yet excited with anticipation for Laura’s belated birthday dinner.
The Service – Our waiter was attentive and reasonably pleasant, but somewhat lacking in the menu knowledge and the polished customer service skills that come with experience, personality and/or training. When I asked whether the bbq shrimp appetizer was made from Gulf shrimp (the only kind worth eating, in my opinion), he said he would check with the kitchen but never got back to me with an answer. When we inquired about whether they offer anything special for birthday girls (i.e. free dessert), he said it’s a good possibility and that he would check on it. When he returned to our table a few minutes later, he simply asked us if we had decided on a dessert without acknowledging our birthday inquiry, which led us to assume that they didn’t offer special birthday treats. That was a little awkward, so we ditched the idea of dessert altogether. On a positive note, our waiter was patient as we asked many questions about the menu, gave us honest recommendations on what to/what not to order, brought out our food very quickly and let us hang out on the patio playing Foodie Fight long after we finished our meal.
The Seafood - While the wine and cocktail menu looked interesting, I ordered a frosty pint of Live Oak Pilz as my pre-dinner refreshment. After initial sticker-shock followed by much deliberation about what to order off of the pricey menu (Soft shell crab BLT? Grilled rare ahi? Splurge on the $25 lobster roll?), we settled upon sharing the lobster roll and two appetizers – seared scallops and the pan roasted crab cake. We couldn’t agree upon fries or coleslaw to accompany the lobster roll, so we ordered both.
Oddly, we were never offered a complementary bread basket or crackers to munch on before the meal, but fortunately all of the food came out very quickly and at perfect temperatures. While I can typically take or leave fries (unless they’re sweet potato fries), Perla’s generous basket of fries was potato perfection – thin, hot and crispy with just the right amount of grease and salt. The three scallops that came with the seared scallops appetizer looked a little puny, especially for the $10 price point, but they were simply delicious. I loved the balance of flavors and textures between the succulent, warm buttery scallops in a spicy sweet jalapeno sauce accompanied by crisp shavings of jicama and green apples. The crab cake was the most beautifully adorned crab cake I had ever seen, crowned by a garland of fresh herbs and greenery. Unfortunately the crab was drab, the cake was too bready and the herbal garnish was the only fresh and interesting item on that plate.
Hopeful for some improvement, I saved my portion of the big ticket item – the $25 lobster roll with cole slaw – for last. While I don’t know if any lobster roll is worth such a hefty price tag, this one was pretty darn good, all the same. The crusty, toasted sandwich roll was stuffed with a generous portion of cool, luscious lobster salad made from large chunks of fresh, sweet lobster meat. The lobster roll was flavorful enough on its own and didn’t need the drawn butter sauce that was inexplicably served on the side. The tangy, crisp coleslaw and a second glass of Pilz were the perfect accompaniments to this dish.
The Synopsis - Of the three dishes we tried, the lobster roll was definitely the best, but all in all, I don’t think I’ll rush back to Perla’s unless it’s for a special occasion. While the food (with the exception of the crab cakes) was fresh and tasty and the atmosphere was right on, I still don’t think that the moderately sized menu items justified their jumbo-sized price tags ($10-$14 for small appetizers, $18 – $40 for entrees). Sure, Perla’s may be situated in the heart of Austin’s SoCo, but come on, it’s not like we’re dining in New York’s SoHo. The next time I get a yearning for fresh seafood in Austin, I’ll stick to my standby, Quality Seafood, where the portions are plentiful, the prices are reasonable, there’s never a wait and the grilled Gulf Shrimp platter is reliably great.
Tags: Betsy, guest blog, laura s., leslie, Perla's, quality seafood, seafood, south congress
