The Dish

Masterpiece on a Plate

ENJOY THE VIEW, AND TASTE THE VISION, AT THE LOOKOUT

BY: JULIETA HERNANDEZ PHOTOS BY: RACHEL BENAVIDES

On Bluff’s Landing, the sun stays shining and the Laguna Madre is welcoming. The Lookout offers waterside dining and a fresh culinary perspective to the Coastal Bend, served up by the culinary talent behind those revolving kitchen doors; and this time, Executive Chef Joe Brock let us back there to see what’s cooking.

The pan-fried flounder with annatto rice pilaf on a Cajun crab tomato sauce and charred broccolini was born of Brock’s innate skill, which stems from Japanese and French cooking styles, and a vision on a plate.

“It might remind you of nature in a sense,” said Brock. “I envision looking down on this red sun in the center (to kind of commemorate that I was born in Japan), with trees that are standing up; the flounder, it’s kind of a cliff there in the center, and the rice being a part of that red sun’s aura.”

The flounder is delicately pan-fried in cornstarch and laid upon the colorful annatto pilaf, an ideal pairing for a waterfront sunset and a glass of house pinot grigio. In the making of a dish, Brock and the culinary talent at The Lookout spoke about working backward: seeing a perfect picture on a plate first before fine-tuning and filling in the blanks with different cooking methods and ingredients with the final feel in mind. “Reverse engineering, I guess?” Brock laughed. “We created The Lookout to be not just a restaurant, but a true dining experience here in Corpus Christi,” said owner Clara Dobson. “As much as possible, we try to work with local suppliers, small farms, and vendors to find our ingredients.”

The full craft bar at The Lookout has a happy hour every Wednesday through Saturday, 2-6 PM. With seasonal cocktails and a gorgeous view for mimosas, you’ll never have an empty glass.

NEW EXHIBITION

JANUARY 25 – APRIL 28, 2019

REPURPOSED, REFRAMED, REIMAGINED

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LOGO VARIETIES

IMAGE LEFT: Stephen Hansen, Man on a Limb (detail), 1985, papier-mâché, 72 in. x 48 in. x 24 in. IMAGE RIGHT: Arman, Blue, Red, Brown (detail), 1988, mixed media, 48 in. x 61 in. x 5 in.

ReTooled breathes life into the unexpected subject of tools by profiling 28 visionary artists from the Hechinger Collection. In the 1980’s, John Hechinger’s booming chain of hardware stores led him to purchase a new company headquarters and collected art to beautify the offices. Hechinger’s acquisition of a tool-inspired collection of diverse 20th century art that was accessible and engaging to all audiences. This exhibition furthers his mission by showcasing the diverse range of ideas, materials, forms, and creativity that encompass modern art. ReTooled: Highlights from the Hechinger Collection was organized by International Arts & Artists, Washington, DC. Gift of John and June Hechinger. 361. 882. 8696 elizabeths-at-artmuseum.com 1902 N. Shoreline Blvd. Corpus Christi, TX Find us Inside

Capturing Life and Love

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With a varied menu that comes from land and sea alike, anyone can enjoy a meal by the waterfront. And that means anyone; nearly the entire menu is gluten-free, and anything can be made gluten-free upon request.

“Our team of talented chefs have worked incredibly hard to create recipes that everyone can enjoy, no matter your dietary requirements,” Dobson said. “It was really important to us to create somewhere everyone can enjoy foods that perhaps they haven’t for years.”

Equipped with a full scratch kitchen and skilled chefs enthusiastic to create, The Lookout offers guests unique dishes all made in-house, even down to the sauces and seasonings. Each menu item tells a story—one where ingredients are celebrated, creating a masterpiece on every plate.

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