Galveston.com Review

We arrived at eat cetera late on a murky Saturday afternoon, for an early dinner. We had the place to ourselves for quite awhile. The atmosphere was very peaceful, with simple and spare decor, with pleasing background music from diverse cultures. (They offer a variety of music CDs for sale as well and will play any you request.) The proprietor was our server and was helpful in describing menu choices, which are the same for lunch and dinner. I settled in with a glass of quite good Cabernet from the short but adequate wine list. My friend enjoyed ice tea. They have an interesting selection of beers as well. We were brough a sample of flavorful blue cheese cream spread with crostini. The crostini were tenderly perfect, toasty on the outside and soft inside.

We both started with soup because the day's selections sounded so delicious. My sweet corn soup with chipotle sauce was creamy and just spicy enough for me, with an intriguing smokiness. It was as good as any I've had (and I am a fan of anything with corn). My companion tried the "gypsy" soup, which was a multitude of vegetables and garbanzo beans in a tomato broth, also with a smoky flavor. He reported it to be on the spicy side which was to his liking. Both were delicious and perfect for a cool, wet evening.

For my meal I chose the smoked chicken breast salad, with roasted red pepper, olives, tomato, and thin-thin cucumber slices, on tender greens, with a sun-dried tomato vinaigrette dressing. It was such a beautiful presentation that I hesitated to disarrange it! It was as tasty as it was attractive. Accompaniment was the perfect crostini, this time with a sun-dried tomato spread. Salad was just the right size, not one of those huge concoctions with enough lettuce for a family of four.

My friend ordered a sandwich special, Boursin cheese with grilled zucchini, grape tomatoes, baby spinach and Black Angus roast beef on a toasted Cuban roll. The creamy cheese gave a gentle garlic flavor to the delicious combination of meat and veggies. He proclaimed it to be excellent.

We had to experience dessert, and they just happened to have a special of warm apple tart with organic vanilla ice cream. It was not too sweet (the ice cream provided that!) and had a very tender crust and delicate apple flavor. It went well with the French-press decaf. It is so satisfying to have coffee freshly prepared at the table.

This dinner was a pleasing evening out. The atmosphere was relaxing and friendly and the place is understatedly elegant, though casual. The health-conscious menu items provide a dining alternative for vegetarians as well, as most of the offerings can be served without meat. The proprietor informed us that they are to begin offering pasta dishes in the immediate future. Highly recommended, for lunch or dinner.