LOCAL BUSINESSES
Palmer’s owner named Chef Ambassador for Texas Department of Agriculture’s Wild Caught Texas Shrimp campaign
There’s no need to drive to the coast to satisfy your seafood cravings when Palmer’s Restaurant Bar & Courtyard is bringing the freshest selections to San Marcos shellfish lovers. Owner and head Chef Monte Sheffield has been selected as the Chef Ambassador for the Texas Department of Agriculture’s Wild Caught Texas Shrimp campaign. Sheffield is no stranger to shellfish, being named Chef of the Year in 2020 by the American Shrimp Processors Association. He takes pride in these titles, and it shines through in his kitchen where his priority is to serve the highest quality ingredients from seafood to beef and everything in between.
“We buy as local as we can and then we stand behind it and we just embrace it. Whenever you’re passionate about something it’s going to stand out,” Sheffield said.
One of the chef’s priorities for Palmer’s is to know where his products come from. He sits on the board of the Texas Shrimp Association, which allows him to stay up-to-date on the highest quality sources for his ingredients by visiting Port Isabel every year or so where the local shrimp gets processed.
“I heard this long ago, but it’s pretty amazing how we know our dentist, we know our CPAs, and we all see them a few times a year; but you eat two to three times a day, and you have no idea where your food comes from,” Sheffield said.
It’s his mission to know where his food comes from and to source it as locally as possible.
“I’ve been on shrimp boats. I’ve been out in bays, harvesting oysters. [I’ve] been on crawfish farms. I wanted to see how it’s done,” Sheffield explained.
The Texas shrimp he serves must pass 140 marks for quality when other suppliers only require about ten. Some of his shrimp dishes include a classic New Orleans style Gumbo with andouille sausage, fresh shrimp and “the holy trinity,” which is a mixture of chopped celery, bell peppers and onions. For an appetizer, there’s crispy Fried Shrimp with a cocktail dipping sauce. His Shrimp Stir Fry is sauteed in brown sugar, soy sauce and worcestershire with a blend of bold spices and peppers, onions and celery. A crowd favorite is the Barbecued Shrimp which blends lemon, butter, garlic and worcestershire together, paired with crispy french bread.
“One of the things that I find exciting about shrimp is whenever you mention it, people just absolutely light up; no matter if it’s just a salad with blackened shrimp or coconut shrimp on there, people get really excited about shrimp,” Sheffield said.
The Texas Department of Agriculture’s Wild Caught Texas Shrimp Campaign is a statewide initiative dedicated to promoting the superior quality, flavor and sustainability of locally harvested shrimp, supporting Texas shrimpers and strengthening the local seafood industry. For more information visit their website at WildCaughtTXShrimp. com.
Palmer’s is a family run business with Monte and Kristin Sheffield ensuring high quality meals to San Marcos foodies for over 20 years. Visit Palmer’s at 218 Moore Street for dinner Tuesdays through Saturdays from 4 to 9 p.m. They also offer Friday lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sunday brunch from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
