Dining: Bahia Abrigada

Go beyond Austin's borders for Mediterranean flavor

By Dale Rice
American-Statesman Restaurant Critic
Web posted: Nov. 3, 2004

It wasn't that long ago when café food and Tex-Mex fare were just about all that could be found in the small towns of Central Texas.

But in recent years -- the past five in particular -- sophisticated dining has been popping up across the region, with unexpected finds a relatively short drive from Austin.

The latest is Bahia Abrigada, a new restaurant with an eclectic menu that brings a vibrant Mediterranean influence to Bastrop's historic Main Street. Herman von Hapsburg, who helped launch and manage the Thistle Café in Davenport Ranch and downtown Austin, opened it six months ago.

The Spanish component may be the strongest at Bahia Abrigada (named for a sheltered bay on the southern tip of Chile), both in the appetizers and in a main course item seldom found in this part of Texas: paella.

Photo by Ha Lam for AA-S Feast on seafood and sausage paella, left, seafood Alfredo and assorted tapas at Bahia Abrigada in Bastrop. Bahia Abrigada 912 Main St., Bastrop (512) 308-9600 Hours: 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays Credit cards: Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, Diners Wheelchair access: Yes Rating: Nov. 4, 2004 Reviews: • Bahia Abrigada • Zen on Guadalupe More In Restaurants: • Complete Restaurant Reviews • Austin360 Foodie Board • Girl Walks Into A Bar

Each of the three on a recent visit was delightful.

The ceviche ($7) featured chopped shrimp, scallops and white fish that had been marinated in lime juice and was served with large, thick tortilla chips and a homemade salsa.

The beef tenderloin ($8) came in the form of two tender medallions accompanied by a red wine reduction sauce with porcini mushrooms, with mixed greens and vegetables on the side.

The jalapeño shrimp ($8) offered a twist on the popular appetizer. These four bacon-wrapped shrimp contained only tiny slivers of hot pepper but rested in a pool of a mild jalapeño cream sauce surrounding a molded mound of rice.

The additional items on the plates -- the rice, salad, tortilla chips and salsa on these three -- made them varied and filling, perfect as an entrée for someone who tires quickly of a single large dish.

For those who don't grow bored after a dozen mouthfuls of one item, the paella ($16) is a good choice. This version of the most famous dish of Spain combined chopped shrimp, scallops and sausage in a flavorful saffron rice with vegetables.

Less impressive was the chicken Parmesan ($14). The large, thick breast had been thoroughly fried, producing a hard, dark brown crust and meat that was moist in the middle but dry around the thinner edges. It was served over a large portion of pasta that was meagerly sauced. Given the strength of the sauces at the restaurant, this dish could have been redeemed easily with an extra ladle of sauce and a minute or two less of cooking time for the chicken.

The spinach salad ($4) provided a refreshing break between appetizers and main course. The baby spinach was tossed with red onions and blueberries in a balsamic vinaigrette dressing and topped with crumbled goat cheese.

For dessert, the cheesecake ($6), made in-house by a local baker, was thick and creamy, with virtually no sweetness -- a style I adore. The bread pudding ($6) was a thin rectangle of bread chunks flavored with white chocolate and served with a rum sauce.

Service at Bahia Abrigada was attentive, as might be expected on a Monday night when there were few customers. It was also relaxed and friendly, a good bridge between the food and its small-town setting.

The building, originally a tailor shop built in 1890, produces an appealing ambience, with two-story ceilings and brick walls that buttress a long, open dining room.

That location has now spawned back-to-back restaurant success stories. Baxter's on Main opened there, and then moved across the street to a larger facility. It may be unusual to have two fine-dining competitors within 100 feet of each other in a small town, but both deserve to thrive.

Bahia Abrigada has created an appealing niche with its overall Mediterranean approach, again demonstrating that upscale dining can be as much a part of small-town life as city dwelling.