How did it take me so long to go to Local Foods??? This Houston restaurant, with 5 locations around town, had such an amazing Gulf Seafood Sandwich that I had to share it with you…and do my own version at home.
My sweet friend Jamie, of @jamiefitfoodie, invited me to go to the Local Foods Tanglewood location for lunch. This branch of the restaurant chain is on the corner of San Felipe and Bering and has easy access to parking in the adjoining parking garage. The restaurant itself has large street-facing windows to let in a lot of natural light. It’s an open layout inside the restaurant with large wooden tables for communal dining as well as booths and tables. The decor is clean and bright with a slight retro feel. There is also a courtyard area on the backside of the restaurant.
On this mild winter day, Jamie and I met inside at the counter to order food. There is so much variety on the menu, it was almost impossible to pick my lunch! Local Foods uses mostly local ingredients so that all the food is fresh and vibrant. There are so many delicious sandwich options and any of the sandwiches can be made into a salad. I chose the Gulf Seafood Sandwich, filled with gulf shrimp and crab, paired with tomatoes and red onion, on a ciabatta bun.
Jamie picked the Garden Sammie (brussel sprouts, avocado, curried cauliflower, hummus, tomato, sprouts and pickled onions) and added chicken to it.
The sandwiches come with your choice of 2 sides, which are displayed in the counter window. I picked the Tuscan Kale with pine nuts, parmesan and golden raisins. I’ve also been wanting to try wheat berries so I picked the Beet Salad as my second side. The beets slivers are mixed with wheatberries, mint, apple and pistachios. I also noticed that Local Foods serve their own kombucha! If you follow my insta-stories, you know how much I love kombucha. I will definitely have to try this next time!
In addition to sandwiches, Local Foods also has several hearty salads on the menu. I was really interested in the Vegan Caesar salad, made with baby kale and romaine, pecans, celery and crispy sweet potato… yum!
Our sandwiches arrived pretty quickly after we sat down. I couldn’t wait to dig into the Gulf Seafood Sandwich. The shrimp and crab were perfectly cooked and a little sweet, since they were so fresh. It seemed like they were mixed with a little mayo to make it slightly creamy. The sliced tomato added a burst of juicy sweetness and the pickled onion had a touch of acidity to cut through creaminess. This sandwich was so hearty yet so light. I definitely could see myself getting this sandwich again!
Jamie’s Garden Sammie with Chicken looked like a rainbow! There were so many beautiful colors and flavors. Jamie said it was delicious and I know it’s one of her favorite sandwiches so it’s gotta be good!
After that amazing meal at Local Foods, I was inspired to create an at-home version of the Gulf Seafood Salad. For my recipe, I only used shrimp since it was on sale at my local grocery store. These meaty shrimp made the best shrimp salad! I mixed the chopped shrimp into a very simple creamy dressing, flavored with lemon and dill. Fresh corn kernels added a burst of sweetness in every bite. To take the salad to the next level, I added diced avocado. I think that shrimp and avocado make the best pairing. I also snuck in a little kale to boost the nutritional value of the salad. For the sandwiches, I used some toasted whole wheat bread. The crispy bread was the perfect contrast to the creamy shrimp salad.
This shrimp salad became a fast family favorite. My husband and kids loved it! The shrimp salad is so flavorful yet light. It would be a great make ahead meal in the summer, or a great snack with crackers or sliced cucumber.
I hope you give this Local Foods inspired Shrimp Salad a try. If you do, take a photo, post it on Instagram and tag me @nourish_with_renata and #nourishwithrenata on Instagram! I would love to see what you make!
FYI, this is not a sponsored post. All the opinions expressed are my own and have not been affected by a sponsorship of any kind. I just like trying new food and telling you about it!
- 2 lbs fresh Gulf Shrimp boiled, cooled, peeled and deveined
- ½ cup light mayonnaise
- ¾ cup fresh corn kernels
- ¼ cup kale finely chopped
- 1 medium avocado diced
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp Pink Himalayan Salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp fresh dill
- ½ medium lemon juiced
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Chop the shrimp into bite size chunks.
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In a large bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, corn, kale, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, dill and lemon juice.
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Stir the shrimp into the mayo mixture.
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Add the avocado and gently fold into the shrimp salad.
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Taste and add more salt and pepper as desired.
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Use the shrimp salad to fill sandwiches, or as a topping for crackers or cucumber slices or lettuce cups.
Refrigerate any leftovers in an airtight container for up to one week.