Venetian Hot Plate – Port Aransas

My first trip to the Venetian Hot Plate in proved to be, hopefully, the first of many. Living up to it’s hype and reputation as “the” fine dining experience of Port Aransas would be no easy feat – I’m pretty partial to Shells and Lisabellas.
We made reservations for 6:00pm on a Tuesday night; actually the same day. I’m told that it’s generally harder to get reservations so we considered ourselves lucky. We were seated at a corner table and brought water and ciabatta bread and seasoned dipping oil. Fresh and flavorful, it set the tone for the balance of the night.
Port Aransas

Despite the very cold temperatures outside, the one-room restaurant was cozy – neither too hot nor too cold. Only about five of the seventeen tables was filled and we were very well cared for during the evening. In fact, I would say the service was the best I have experienced in Port Aransas.

The Venetian Hot Plate offers a very extensive wine list including my favorite Tawny Port with 2 varieties, no less! Most restaurants only carry Ruby Port, so this was a great treat. We opted for non-alcoholic selections on this evening (but we will be back!) and waited just a few minutes for our appetizer. We chose the Calamari which was perfectly seasoned and prepared. I prefer crispy or fried calamari so while I wouldn’t order it again, that was most definitely a preference on my part and not a flaw with the preparation or seasoning of the dish we received.

Our salads were next. My husband chose the house salad and raved about the homemade, fresh balsamic vinaigrette over fresh greens. I chose the Caesar Salad and was delighted to be offered a pure version with anchovies, which I declined this time, but even without the salty addition, the balance of dressing to just-picked fresh romaine hearts and parmesan cheese was sublime.

I opted for the Veal Picatta and like my salad was perfectly prepared and like no other I’ve had. The lemons and capers were standard, but the addition of fresh tomatoes added a layer of flavor and texture. The veal was fork-tender and delicious.

At our server Jamie’s suggestion, my hub chose the Penne Bolognese and despite the simple preparation he was blown away. Fresh herbs, tomatoes and a touch of cream blended for a rare treat and it was easy to see why there are so many devotees to the Venetian Hot Plate.

Our final selection of the evening was the apricot cheesecake. Again, this wasn’t some pre-packaged or frozen feature. It was creamy, sweet but not sickeningly so, with soft apricot chunks. The crust was a perfect New York graham cracker crust and it capped the evening famously.

All in all, a wonderful meal explored. We can’t wait to return.