Call them what you will - appetizers, hors d’oeuvres, shareables, starters, or small plates - menus in Galveston restaurants are overflowing with them, and islanders are eager to eat them. According to Food & Wine Magazine, small plates are gaining in popularity on menus across the U.S., to the extent that eating an actual dinner afterward just might not feel necessary.

Appetizers were originally served to tide guests over until the main course or to counter the cocktail hour that occurs before a larger meal. They are served hot or cold, with silverware, or eaten by hand.

Cuisines all over the globe celebrate small plates. Dim sum, hors d’oeuvres, smorgasbords, and antipasti have been enjoyed for centuries. Appetizers gained popularity in the contemporary U.S. in the mid-19th Century, and today’s small bite menus have become increasingly more popular and more sophisticated.

While there is altogether too much fabulous food being served in Galveston restaurants to pick the best bites in town, the following represents a few favorites from our readers and staff.

 

FRIED BRUSSEL SPROUTS
Gypsy Joynt – 6105 Stewart Road
When owner Lori Weller had to assign her fried Brussel sprouts appetizer its own button on the cash register, she knew they were a success. To date, they have become the most popular starter item on the menu.

“When a bride and groom requested my Brussels on every table at their wedding reception, I knew I had a hit on my hands,” Weller said. “These will turn any Brussel sprout hater into a lover.”

Like the rest of the menu at this Stewart Road eatery, the Brussel sprout recipe was a product of Weller’s creative mind. She slices the little cabbages into halves or quarters, deep fries, drains, sprinkles with a secret “gypsy mix” and tosses them in a dressed-up sriracha called “high dee ho” sauce. The dish is topped with fresh grated parmesan cheese before serving.

TEXAS FRIES
Hubcap Grill – 2021 Strand
This fun, high-brow take on a classic side is so popular, it has its own menu. Idaho potatoes are fresh cut in house and topped with an assortment of owner Teffeny Caruso’s personal recipes.

The Texas Fries are a fan favorite and topped with chili made from high-grade Texas Angus beef, fresh jalapenos, San Marzano tomatoes, a unique 12-spice blend mix, and Caruso’s gypsy stout beer.

Their house-made special sauce is slathered on top and incorporates cheddar, Swiss, and American cheeses with white wine and whipping cream. The finished product is topped with onions and fresh jalapeños.

Don’t fret if these fries don’t suit your fancy, there are nine others to choose from such as Stinky Fries, Philly Fries, Greek Fries, Country Fries, Bacon Cheese Fries, Hell Fries, and Buffalo Fries.

FRIED SNAPPER WINGS
Katie’s Seafood House – 2000 Wharf Road
Katie’s snapper wings are much like their chicken counterparts: salty, crunchy, and served with a spicy sauce. They are not, however, wings at all. Made from the fleshy throat or collar of the snapper fish, this popular island appetizer has been enjoyed by Galvestonians for decades, according to Katie’s General Manager Brett Otteman.

Legend has it that ‘fish cutters’ or ‘filet men’ in the 1920s and ’30s descended upon fishing boats as they pulled into the pier, east of where Katie’s stands today. These workers would clean the fish for the fleets and keep the leftover heads and collars to make meals for their families.

As is often the case in American food history, the meals made from scraps or ‘poor meat,’ make their way onto the everyday plate, and the item grows in popularity. Snapper wings may be popular all over the south “but it all started in Galveston,” said Otteman.

At Katie’s, the snapper collars are breaded in an old-school cornmeal fish fry, deep fried, and served with a house-made spicy sauce. All of Katie’s Seafood House fish comes from their own Katie’s Seafood Market next door.

CRISPY CAULIFLOWER
Leeland House – 2711 Market
The crispy cauliflower has emerged as a fan favorite at this cozy neighborhood bistro. The cauliflower is crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, covered in gochujang (an Asian-style barbecue sauce) and topped with microgreens.

This seriously addicting dish debuted to rave reviews on social media and is one of the most popular dishes served at the restaurant that opened last November.

"Sometimes, even we don’t know why the cauliflower is so ridiculously delicious, but maybe it has something to do with that crispy, light batter, sticky Gochujang sauce and the creamy cilantro. Trust me, we love it just as much as everyone else,” said head chef and co-owner Justin Lofton.

OCTOPUS WITH SHRIMP AND SCALLOP ON SAFFRON RISOTTO
Riondo’s Ristorante – 2328 Strand
The happy hour menu at Riondo’s Ristorante is legendary. Their featured appetizer, however, is not from the special menu. In fact, it’s not on the menu at all. It’s a special chef’s feature, available most days, that you have to ask for. Intrigued? You should be.

This popular but secreted small plate is made with delicate ingredients and is ample enough for two.

The octopus is flown in from Spain. Head chef and co-owner Rico Caminos boils the super white meat with 20 wine corks and herbs and finishes it on the grill to ensure the delicate meat stays tender.

“It’s like butter,” co-owner Don McClaugherty said. The octopus is served with lemon butter, saffron-infused risotto, a fresh diver scallop, jumbo shrimp from local waters, and heirloom grape tomatoes.

Choose from over 70 wines to accompany this delectable dish from this upscale Italian bistro.

FRIED GREEN TOMATOES
Sugar & Rye – 2401 Church
Head Chef Joe Radler says their version of fried green tomatoes fits with Sugar & Rye’s concept of light southern food. This popular first course comes in an ample serving; easily enough for two.

Fresh green tomatoes are dragged through a wet tempura dredge and then dry cornmeal batter and served atop golden-crusted, scratch-made cornbread with poblano peppers. It’s finished with a drizzle of house-made jalapeño and cilantro ranch and a garnish of herb salad.

The fried green tomatoes have quickly become one of the most ordered appetizers on the new menu - they fire up about 30 orders per service.

CRAWFISH RISOTTO CROQUETTES
Yaga’s Café - 2314 Strand
An island favorite since 1986, this fun-loving Strand Street eatery features a savory bite that might be best described as a Cajun arancini. Yaga’s Crawfish Risotto Croquettes are cheesy and crispy on the outside and soft and decadent on the inside.

The house-made remoulade has a kick but “not one that will knock you sideways,” said head chef William Pickavance.

Cooked and cooled risotto is mixed with crawfish tails, fresh grated parmesan cheese, green onions, and herbs. The rice balls are then put through the usual flour, egg, and bread crumb process and deep fried.

“We created this dish for a special catering event and then added it as a restaurant week special,” said Pickavance. “The response was so great, we added it to our permanent menu, and it quickly became our top-selling small plate.

One serving is ample for two or perfect for a shared plate on the table.