MATAGORDA COUNTY , TEXAS, USA -- While I like shrimp in most all of its countless culinary forms, I have to admit that fried shrimp were always my least favorite variety. Sure they're tasty and satisfying in the way that pretty much anything battered and fried is tasty and satisfying. (How do you think the average American ever gets adventurous enough to try things like rocky mountain oysters, alligator, and rattlesnake? By battering and frying it. Batter and fry most anything and Americans will eat it.)

So on the subject of fried shrimp, I always took the view that while certainly non offensive, the dish was usually nondescript and didn't do justice to its delicate main ingredient. At least that's the way I felt until I tried the fried shrimp at Palacios (pronounced pul-lash-us), Texas's Outrigger restaurant, where fried shrimp become a transcendental experience.

Never have I had fried shrimp that approached this level of perfection. Outrigger owner Cheryl Dodd values the quality and freshness of the shrimp fished from the local Palacios fleet, and as such she doesn't allow the star of the show to be overpowered by a greasy, heavy batter. Cheryl's batter is so light, it is literally translucent, a thin covering that only slightly mutes the soft pink tone of the shrimp in encases. The texture is sublime - a perfect balance of crunch, provided by the light crispy coating and delicately flavored crustacean inside, cooked to a perfect degree of doneness. The dish bares so little resemblance to what usually passes for fried shrimp, Cheryl really should come up with a name variation. You can actually taste the shrimp!

No doubt the freshness of the ingredients significantly contributes to the quality of the Outrigger's fried shrimp. Palacios is known as the "Shrimp Capital of Texas with more than 400 commercial fishing boats operating in Matagorda Bay. Your meal was likely in the water a mere day, if not hours, before you eat it. If that's not fresh enough for you, you might want to take advantage of Matagorda County's world class fishing and catch your own. For a small fee the folks at the Outrigger will gladly prepare your own catch. Think of it as corkage but with fish instead of wine. If you didn't bring your own catch, the restaurant always has a respectable variety of fresh seafood available.

Now before my high accolades give you the idea that the Outrigger is any way, shape or form a fancy place, let's set the record straight. There is nothing highbrow or pretentious about the place. It's not gourmet, it's just good food -- the fried shrimp and Cheryl's home made pies are outstanding food.

If the place didn't already exist in its current form, a Hollywood art director would create it as the setting of a small gulf coast beach town local restaurant -- the kind of place where everyone in town goes for dinner on Saturday night and breakfast before work every day. It's the kind of place where the help knows all the regulars by name. The casting director would likely populate the scene with actors playing various versions of the Outrigger's regular cast of characters - everyone from local politicians and business owners, to just plain folks. This isn't Applebees or Outback, or the Olive Garden, this is the real thing, something that is getting rare in our generic "mallified" nation.

Photos of regulars and local scenes adorn the rough hewn walls, augmented by a loose nautical themed décor. On one wall is a recent photo of the restaurant on Christmas Eve, blanketed in snow. Nearly every business in Matagorda County has a similar "badge of honor," simply because it is the only time in history the area ever got snow.

If you wanted to get to know folks in Palacios, all you need do is hang out long enough at the Outrigger and the world will come to you. You'll be up to speed with local dignitaries and characters, town news and goings-on, and within a visit or two, the Outrigger staff is likely to know you by name too.

Even if you're just passing through coastal Texas, a plate of the Outrigger's fried shrimp is a gustatory experience worth going well out of your way for. If you're in Palacios on a weekend, the Outrigger often offers live entertainment. Out back is a huge outdoor seating area, bar and stage, illuminated by strands of festive twinkling lights. It makes the perfect place to dance the night away in nice weather. Call or visit the website for schedule information.

Practicalities

The Outrigger Restaurant is located at 311 East Tres Palacios Avenue in Palacios, Texas. The restaurant does close some days during off season months, so before visiting be sure to call 361-972-1479 or click to www.OutriggerRestaurant.com.

For general information about planning a visit to Matagorda County, Texas, click on www.visitmatagorda.com or contact the Matagorda County Economic Development Corporation at 979-245-8913.

Cheri Sicard, in addition to being the editor of FabulousTravel.com and its sister site, Fabulous Foods.com is the author of The Great American Handbook: What You Can Do For Your Country Today and Every Day and The Low Carb Restaurant Guide, and the co-author of US Citizenship for Dummies. To learn more about Cheri, click here.