Gonzalo’s American Bistro

Wonderful accommodations for folks with gluten intolerance- and everyone on staff was super friendly and helpful. SO YUMMY!!!

Such a perfect spot to eat at in Galveston! The staff is just wonderful and the food is absolutely fantastic! If we lived in Galveston we would be returning on the regular!!! The vibe here is amazing and you won’t regret stopping by! (Also if you come by and get the chance before it’s all sold out try this cake it’s life changing andddd gluten free 😆)

A dear friend of mine just had a birthday, so we decided to go out and celebrate with dinner at Gonzalo’s American Bistro (GAB). I love this little East End gem both for its food and stellar service. You have two seating options: their intimate dining room, or their twinkle lighted patio. Both settings are wonderful date spots, with the patio offering seating for larger crowds as well. Being the indoor girl that I am, and my friend not caring one way or another, I requested an indoor table. But, as soon as I saw what looked like a teeny tiny table for two, I inwardly wondered if we would feel cramped. We weren’t at all. In fact, I didn’t think about it again until the next day. Our server, Micah, handed us our menu’s and asked if we’d been there before. We assured him that we had. He offered to answer any questions, then swiftly brought us water while we pondered what to eat. As I looked over my choices I kept saying to myself, “Order something new!” I have a habit of finding something I like, and then never trying anything else. I thought longingly of their pappardelle with chicken confit and truffled mushrooms, but instead I ordered the pappardelle bolognese. The birthday girl ordered the artichoke appetizer (crispy on the outside and succulent on the inside) and pasta limone. All of GAB’s pastas and pizza doughs are made in house. As much as I love a good bolognese, I have a hard time finding one I like. I often find them either too sweet or somewhat metallic tasting. GAB’s pasta did not disappoint. The sauce was a rich and luscious balance of tomatoes, meat, and seasoning. I don’t know how long they simmer this stuff, but it tastes like it took a long time. The noodles themselves were perfectly cooked, and satisfyingly dense and chewy in the best possible way. I snuck in a couple bites before my friend dish arrived, and when it did, she took one look, and then her face fell. “Oh no! I forgot to order gluten free!” she gasped in horror. Birthday Girl is VERY gluten intolerant. I called Micah over, apologized profusely, and explained what had happened. Without a second’s hesitation, he took her plate then promised to come back with a new one as quickly as possible. But then they blew us both away by taking my plate and telling me they would make me a fresh one to eat when my friend’s food arrived, so that we could eat together. I may or may not have put up a fight for my plate because I had already tasted it and didn’t want to let it go. My apologies for not taking pictures of all the food. Hers was swept away before I could snap a shot, and it was all forgotten when our food returned. I regressed back to ordering my usual when it was time for dessert. There was a serving of croissant bread pudding in that kitchen with my name on it, and nobody could dissuade me. Unfortunately, there was no flourless chocolate cake left for Birthday Girl. She was reluctantly ordering the crème brûlée, when the waiter offered an off-menu option: vanilla ice cream with strawberries, balsamic reduction, and black pepper. Intrigued, she ordered it. Well, it turned out to be one of those insanely genius recipes with just a few ingredients. I feel the need to point out here that it takes a VERY talented chef to perfectly balance and elevate a dish involving so few ingredients. There’s nowhere to hide. As for my dessert, yours truly is a very big pastry snob, and this checked all the boxes for me. It was sweet without being too sweet, and rich without being too rich, and it had a nice mix of textures. But, oh that caramel sauce! I would happily drown in a vat of the stuff. Even the few raspberries they used as a garnish were remarkably good. So, if you’re looking for a place with an intimate setting and a chef driven menu, this is the place to go. By the way, they also serve breakfast and lunch. 👩🏻‍🍳♥️ — at Gonzalo’s American Bistro ‘GAB’.