THE LATITUDE ATTITUDE
One of the most popular restaurants in Rockport is Latitude 28° 02’, a restaurant/art gallery owned and operated by Craig and Ramona Day. 28 degrees, 02 minutes North being the precise latitude of the entrance to Rockport Harbor which is right across the street.
Craig learned to cook as a child and discovered he had a genuine gift for it. Starting as a dishwasher at Catfish Charlie’s, he worked at the Baja Coast, and then the Yardarm in Corpus, where he trained under a Cordon bleu trained Chef. Ramona comes from a family that ran a catering business and had no intentions of following in their footsteps, and so became a teacher. But once she married Craig and they had the opportunity to take over an existing lease on their current building, she jumped right back in and the rest is history. Their combined expertise led to the creation of an art gallery/restaurant business showcasing local artists’ work as an expressive and ever-changing landscape throughout the dining area. Rockport is a well-known art colony, and so the combination space makes perfect sense. Ramona deals primarily with local coastal artists, selling their work directly and promoting regional talent.
Early in their restaurant business, the Days took a trip with their wine reps to California’s Sonoma and Napa Valleys. The distinct Mediterranean cuisine of the area was a formative influence on the couple and combined with Craig’s local seafood training, and their love of wine is responsible for their menu’s innovative cuisine, cocktails, and artistic presentation.
A signature dish is their Fish Gilroy, usually a freshly caught Black Drum in a garlic butter bread crust, that goes perfectly with their creative cocktails like the Ramonatini; a lemon-infused vodka with St. Germain liqueur (elderflower) and champagne. A lot of their unique cocktails were designed by Mary Pepper who created the Black Bubbly (champagne and fresh blackberry syrup), and the White Sangria, (white wine, guava, white cranberry/strawberry juice, white grape, and a splash of Club Soda), but Ramona’s favorite is their Lemon Drop Martini. If that sounds as good to you as it does to me, head on over Monday evenings for their Appetizer and Half-Price wine events, where there are no entrees, just delicious hors d’oeuvres and drinks.
In their limited time off, Ramona tells us she and Craig like to let someone else do the cooking and enjoy meals at 495 Chesapeake Eats, the Apple Dumpling Deli, and the Old Fulton Seafood Café. As specialists in Texas Coastal cuisine, the Days understand the importance of the local catches, seasonal specialties, and the Mexican-influenced flavors that differentiate the 350mile long Gulf State food from its northern counterparts. Ramona and Craig are very appreciative of Rockport residents supporting their business for over twenty years and realize how fortunate they are to be located in such a beautiful location surrounded by the abundant seafood of the Gulf of Mexico. Hungry yet?
Latitude is located at: 105 North Austin Street, Rockport, TX 78382. Call them today: 361-727-9009
