Corpus Christi – The sparkling city by the sea is a no nonsense stop for seafood in the Lone Star State, and finding fried shrimp is as easy as can be. But if you’re looking for something different, something with a little French pizzazz, the Yardarm measures up. “We’ve met some terrific people over the years, and still,” said owner Diane Tsaousis.
Diane and her husband Constantine opened the Yardarm back in 1975. “I would say we have not changed very much,” said Constantine. Constantine is the consummate host. Originally from Greece, he’s known for his friendly banter and signature hat. “He’s never without the hat,” said Diane. “That is his signature hat. He hasn’t taken it off in 50 years.” “I need to protect my sensitive instruments, and I put this hat on, then and it stays with me ever since,” said Constantine. Secretly, Diane is fond of it. “I like that hat,” said Diane. “He wouldn’t be that person without that hat.”
“I guess you can say I am a person of habit,” said Constantine. “If I find a hat that I like, I keep it. If I find the food that I like, I do the same policy too.”
Well Constantine has liked the food since 1975 and so have the customers. While the menu changes, there are a couple of constants that have stood the test of time while still being a blast from the past. And it’s all thanks to their original chef. “In walked the second day this old crusty guy, a chef, who was fabulous,” said Diane. “And nobody could get along with him, but he was wonderful. So, he was a Master Chef, and he took over and set up the kitchen and set up the menu. A lot of his original recipes are still with us.”
The recipes themselves have stayed the same this whole time as well, and that comes from consistency in the kitchen. “They’ve been the same since I’ve been around and before, and I think we’ve only had four or five chefs since we started in 1975,” said Chris Owen.
Chris has been the head chef here since 2012, but he’s been working here longer than that! “He’s been the heart of this place,” said Diane. “He’s an interesting character. He’s very good with people. Chris is a very kind, very gentle fellow everywhere, inside the kitchen and out here. And he has a great interest in the restaurant.”
“Started as a busboy,” said Chris. “I slowly worked my way up to head chef.”
Chris wanted to showcase three dishes at the Yardarm, some old, some new, so we started with Oysters Rockefeller. Fresh gulf oysters are topped with bacon, spinach, onion and garlic and placed in the oven. Then comes the fresh flounder. “This was probably right around yesterday, or the night before,” said Chris. “Been gigged right here, you can tell.”
Fresh fish is a big deal here, especially when your patio sits on Corpus Christi Bay. “We have one fish fellow that we get all the fish from,” said Diane.
Chris shows off what a tenured chef can do deboning a flounder. “Probably do a few thousand of these a year,” said Chris.
Chris stuffs with the flounder with crab stuffing and tops it for baking. “A little butter, a little white wine,” said Chris. “Nice in-house seasoning we make. Put that right there. Give that about 10 to 12, 14 minutes.”
Up next is the papillote. “We use an orange, a bay leaf, nice piece of black drum,” said Chris. “I’m going to season that up. We’re going to put another scoop of the crab stuffing right on top. You can’t go wrong with crab stuffing. We’re going to top it with a piece of saffron butter. Shallots. We dip it in oil so it doesn’t burn. We’re going to pop it on in a pan with butter.”
And just like that, the feast is ready for plating. Oysters are up first. “Top it with Hollandaise, paprika, and, of course, some parsley,” said Chris. “Serve that with a lime. Now, it’s ready to go. One down.”
Now the flounder. “So, what I do now is I douse it with some fresh lime juice, a ladle of some butter,” said Chris. “Drowned it in that a little. Top that with some fresh parsley, and she is good to go.” Beautiful.
And the papillote remains a mystery as it’s opened table side! This recipe can be traced back to Antoine’s in New Orleans back in 1840 and here it is in Texas all these years later.
It’s always good to get out of your shell when you try a new restaurant, so why not start with oysters. The elements of the Rockefeller fit together perfectly but there was an added bonus of some sherry, giving it a more traditional taste. These are true to form, with a fantastic old-school taste.
Onto the giant stuffed flounder which looks absolutely beautiful. It smells incredible, and the flavors are fantastic. “I think the crab-stuffed flounder is a signature, remarkable dish,” said customer Daryl. “Really, really delicious.”
Well, the fish is fine. It’s fresh. You pair it up with that crab stuffing, and even the butter and lime are playing a big part in bringing out all the flavors of the fish. It’s fantastic. “I haven’t found anything I really don’t like here,” said customer Robin.
From here, we move on to the Papillote, a unique take on a dish that you don’t see too often, an old-school thing with a fresh drum. Once again, straight off the boat. It, too, is beautiful. “It’s really fun to bring your kids and get that bag and get to cut it open, and the aromas escape,” said Daryl. “It’s a process and it’s a presentation, and I think that’s a fun thing.”
I never knew you could get fish more tender than baking it in the oven, but cooking it in that bag made that drum tender. Such an old-school flavor with that bay leaf and orange soaking into the bottom of the fish, and then all that crab stuffing on top. Every layer of this thing has got something to really pique your taste buds. “You can’t get fresher drum than here,” said customer Dean. “It’s right in Corpus Christi right here on the bay. It’s fantastic.”
Getting seafood down on the coastal bend is a no-brainer, but if you want some traditional dishes that have stood the test of time, coming to the Yardarm in Corpus Christi is well worth the stop on The Texas Bucket List. “We enjoy all the people that we know, the people that come here,” said Diane. “We love our staff. It’s been a way of life. What would we do? Sit at home and look at each other? What would we do?”