dining desination

Ciao down: Galveston's Grotto restaurant brings top-notch Italian right to the Gulf beachfront

While the San Luis Resort, Spa & Conference Center continues its reign as Galveston's premier spot for sand and sun, the popular hotel complex also has earned a reputation as a dining destination.

Opened this summer, the resort's new Grotto restaurant is already making waves on the island thanks to its phenomenal beach views, impeccable service and classic Southern Italian cuisine.

Located among the San Luis' exclusive collection of eateries — including the hip H₂O lounge, the award-winning Steakhouse and a luxurious hotel cafe — Grotto is committed to freshness, says Executive Chef Brian Robertson.

Pastas are made in house, pizzas are cooked inside wood-fired ovens and all seafood is sourced directly from Galveston's busy fish markets to bring customers the best catch available.

“This is fine dining but in a relaxed, casual atmosphere,” the chef explains. "We have wonderful food as well as great views of the Gulf and our unique tropical pool area.”

"We have wonderful food as well as great views of the Gulf."

Robertson got his start at Houston hotspot Tony's, whose esteemed owner Tony Vallone launched the original Grotto in the heart of the city's Galleria area. His close personal and professional relationship to the restaurant — which has branches in The Woodlands and at the Golden Nugget casinos in Las Vegas and Atlantic City — further adds to Grotto's family atmosphere.

Of the 10 restaurants dotting the San Luis resort's 32-acre beachfront property on Seawall Boulevard, Grotto boasts one of the area's most distinctive wine lists, with exquisite selections from Italy's top vineyards.

Those interested in cocktails need look no further than the restaurant's famous Bellini, that fabled Venetian drink made famous by Ernest Hemingway, as well as an array of delicious martinis. Be sure to take advantage of all the cocktail specials at the Grotto's popular happy hour from 4 to 7 p.m., Tuesday through Friday.

Whether you're planning a getaway to the San Luis resort or making a quick day trip to the beach, the new Grotto is a must for any foodie . . . And it's all just a quick drive south from Houston.

So what’s your excuse for not hitting the road for some island time to ciao down?

Grotto's wood-fired oven offers up some of the island's most inventive pizzas.

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This week's hot headlines

DFW's dismal ranking among best places to live leads this week's 5 most-read headlines

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Editor's note: A lot happened this week, so here's your chance to get caught up. Read on for the week's most popular headlines. Looking for the best things to do this weekend? Find that list here.

1. Dallas-Fort Worth no longer a top 100 place to live, declares U.S. News & World Report. Dallas-Fort Worth has fallen from grace in a closely watched annual report of the best places to live in the U.S. The Metroplex appears at a dismal No. 113 (out of 150) in U.S. News & World Report's Best Places to Live ranking for 2023-2024. Last year, DFW landed at No. 32; it was No. 37 in 2021. Here's (sort of) why it plummeted in the rankings.

2. Sliders restaurant from Detroit shimmies onto Dallas' Greenville Ave. A slider concept from the Great Lakes State is expanding to Texas, and that includes a high-profile location in Dallas: Called Savvy Sliders, it's a young fast-casual concept founded in Flint, Michigan, and it will open its first Dallas restaurant at 4818 Greenville Ave., in the space recently vacated by vegan chicken restaurant Project Pollo.

3. New lagoon-waterpark with lazy river dives into Dallas-Fort Worth. A long-awaited waterpark in Cedar Hill is debuting Memorial Day weekend with two of Texas' favorite splashy attractions: a lagoon and lazy river. The Lagoon at Virginia Weaver Park will open Saturday, May 27 after more than a year in development.

4. Happy Hippie Brewing to bring peace, love, and beer to new HQ in Richardson. A craft beer brewery is opening a splendid new facility in Richardson: Happy Hippie Brewing Company, a small brewery specializing in Belgian-style beers, is opening an an 11,000-square-foot brewery and taproom at 500 Lockwood Dr., in the Lockwood area within the city's evolving CORE District.

5. Asian restaurant Howard Wang's shutters location in Uptown Dallas. A Chinese restaurant in Uptown Dallas closed: Howard Wang's Uptown Grill, one in a family-owned chain, closed its location at 3223 Lemmon Ave. #103, with the final day of service on May 21. The restaurant had been at that location for 12 years.