Perla's Seafood & Oyster Bar is just another sensation to add to the list of outstanding original wonders located on South Congress. We headed over to Perla's for brunch and sat outside on their of-so-welcoming porch deck, shaded by an oak tree aged older than the restaurant itself. Keepin' it real, folks, that's how we do in Austin.
Each table gets to start nibbling on the housemade hushpuppies before one can even inquire as to any specials of the day. I'm always thankful when I don't have to order on an empty stomach.
After eyeing it at a neighboring table, I had to give the Big Blue Banana & Bacon pancake a go, this was brunch after all. Griddled to perfection with a crispy crusted edge, but soft and fluffy on the inside, I was quite satisfied with my decision. Although as our friendly Vineyard Vines clad waiter said, only about 1 in 100 actually finish the whole thing, and as Adam Richman would say, "In the battle of man versus food, food won..."
The Breakfast Crab Cake featured an egg sunny side up atop a crab cake atop some arugula with an emulsion sauce. A little chive sprinkle always gives a dish a polished finishing look.
And of course, there's always room for a shared plate of calamari. It was so fresh and well battered (very lightly) that we cleaned the plate, no problem.
