The Spicy Crawfish & Culinary Wrangling Of Beaumont Texas - Feature

The balance between green and badlands, water and desert, lies in the reserve of the paradox. Beaumont Texaslies on the precipice of the possible but at the nexus of wherever. Flying into Houston as a junction point for many destinations in the mid- Southeast, the outlay of the land would at first give one thoughts to tornadoes but its juxtaposition to the Gulf Coast is undeniable with its dexterious position right off of Interstate 10 just miles from the Lousiana border.Food becomes a consciousness of all. But within a town swirling with a greatness of different weather, the ideal becomes when. Like its partying sister Orleans and its surroundings, the crawfish swirling in possibilities differs depending on its outlet, spicy or natural, boiled or marinated.Dinner is a specific parlay unto itself depending on its location within town. With a downtown area starting to undergo revitalization, the key in Beaumont becomes centrality which sometimes with a freeway city requires good signage.Spindletop Steakhouse resting within the crux of Crockett Street has the inevitability of proper location despite an early conclusion. Reasonably, in reverence to the locals, the area does close early but that is contained within the auspice of supply vs. demand.

The enticement of a beignet, indicative of nearby Orleans followed by a blossoming, straightlaced shrimp enraptured in an avocado blend provided a sense of artisan pleasure while the lemon sauteed flounder balanced within its brightness surrounded by a tangy bed of kidney beans, peas and creamy corn signaled a confidence of preparation. However, it was the seared pork with a light BBQ sauce accompanied with a wisp of flan topped in fish caviar that elevated the meal along with a spicy highlight of asparagus fingers.Suga's, by comparison, which also functions as a jazz club, works along a similar structure while being more removed from its downtown. Located across from the beautiful if underused Jefferson Theater, its ambience of light and dark highlighted by various subtle visions of art include a smooth ode to Miles Davis.

Envisioned with an appetizer platter that included rich vibrant shrimps ensconced in goat cheese followed by a similar but equally balanced pecan salad, the truism of the meal was not overwrought until the tendencies of the braised short rib came into play. Painted in orange singed diablo colors like a diatribe of sin, the tender meat melts in the mouth over a bed of toasted buttered grits and vivacious okra.One of the aspects of Beaumont's dinner scene that parlays through within its mindset is the mixology tendencies available which differs within the ideals, though a welcome female persistence in all visions tends to work towards a slightly more sweet intensity in an overall sense.In the two aforementioned outlays, the ideaology was surprisingly similar with different perceptions.

In terms of Spindletop, the idea was more enraptured with colors instead of ingredients. Frog Piss used the enticement of Midori and Malibu Rum to highlight the vision while the dessert-fueled Chocolate Cake shot prepped with a sugar coated lemon slice combined with a zip of Frangelico to make the sweet pop. It was however the carafe-served Water Moccasin (also called F*ck The Beast) that brought one home with its peach infused vodka, amaretto and grapefruit juice.

Suga's allowed for a creation fueled prep beginning with a blueberry filled concoction juxtaposing bitters, sweet and sour mix and vodka in a volatile tendency named Mad Blue. The two following cocktails effused less with an apple mojito which added Pucker to the mix while the Electric Lemonade frothed forward but without as much of the punch indicative of other iterations.

Another arena of cocktails worthy of mention is Easy's. While certainly off the beaten path, it does boast an eclectic staff highlighted by Shelley whose dirty jokes have a poignant nastiness to them that is utterly charming. The drinks themselves, which are primary in terms of martinis, function again with a fruit intensity that seems to permeate the coast which might be integrated into its identity as a Gulf town. The High Tide Martini, green in its effusion, huddles with its Midori crown, grenadine and cherries while the Baileys-enticed Strawberry Quickie for dessert allows with the smoothness of a Pina Colada but with an overwhelming sweet tooth. The most intrinsic which can either be served as a shot or straight up in a martini glass, as shown by a regular, is the Screaming PB&J which integrates Kahlua, Amaretto along with bitters. The scream is added within the vodka and you feel an afternoon delight in its execution.Speaking of afternoons, lunch always can define a day especially if one is a night owl. Crawfish and seafood is always the name of the game. But these Texans from the Southeast quadrant make you work for it.

The Douget Crawfish Farm allows one to see the little monsters in their natural habitat, jumps and squirming in rhythmic motion taken right from the rice fields in the back of the property. Water moccasins and gators want their share but this is the slick country. The difference between Lousiana and this part of Texas is that the crawfish are huge with a intensive outpouring of meat, work aside. Add some seasoning along with corn and sausage and the extra time spent is duly rewarded.

That said however within actual preparation of this critter population, Sartins has it down. The key when eating crawfish is the sucking of the discombobulated head to savor the spice before whipping off the tail and crunching the backbone to find the meat. The spice marinated within the boiling process gives it that undeniable flitter of joy. The owner, who himself goes out on the fishing boat every other day, brings over his spicy dipping sauce, which crawfish should always be served with while his co-owner/wife brings a dexterious portion of BBQ Crabs. While an ingenious idea, the essence of the actual meat is not as proportionate as the crawfish which makes for a split heart as the Lone Star gallops into a cold icy mug.

Fat Mac's Smokehouse, in its personification, simply puts its meats out there. After an intense tenderizing interlude in the back, the many different possibilities present themselves in a smorgasboard of down home sensibilities and watering countenance on the table. While the sausages offer the tang needs to rock the afternoon, it was the rib eye slices with their melting persistance that proved the fuel replete with Shiner Bock's intended kick.

Working in reverse, breakfast can be a reviving process (or begin a Happy Hour for that matter). Carlito's Mexican in forward motion has this down with its made-to-order breakfast burritos replete with refried beans, carne asada and habanero sauce to beat. As just finished shift EMTs chill with cold Lone Star bottles on the deck in the early morning hours, the paradox of menudo entranced with tripe as well as the gooey doughiness of sopapillas simply melted the heart.The culinary loves of Beaumont have possibilities but its bayou prospects also speak to its growing ability. Gator Country, run by the effable Gary Sauvage and his team, just jumped to national probability with their new Gator 911 show on CMT. As a side trip, the interaction is priceless. Despite the fact that Big Al, their 75 year old beheamouth does what he wants, the balance of gators suits its presence. With an equal balance of male and females, the mating seasons can truly be heart stopping. However very few places allow you to have up front interactions with baby gators in your hand, especially the spawn of one like Big Al. The key Gary says is keeping the challenge up and with a crew with them on some of the more daring rescues, the key is quick thinking and experience.

Beaumont Texas offers that quick getaway inevitability with angles around every corner. Its down home hospitality and non-assuming approach can lure those from the antique bargain seekers to the passers through eager for a savory meal spiced by the riches of the Gulf.