“Meet Chrissy Anthony,The Grand Dame’ Of Sea Island Shrimp House”
When one thinks of an American Treasure- they think of comforttradition- love and…of course- great food! When you think of a great woman, Chrissy Anthony comes to mind! Full of sassy fire, this amazing woman is a true study in powerful humility. When she was told I was writing an article about her, she insisted it would NOT be about her! OK, I said, “Then what would it be about!?” She immediately answered, “Well the restaurant of course- the food- and our guests we have served for over 46 years!” Well…all-righty then Ms. Chrissy- Touche! That will be a pleasureor should I say, “An American Treasure!” If it takes a village to raise a child, then it takes an internal “city” of extended family to create a restaurant that has become a piece of American/San Antonio history! It takes great people to create a great restaurant. It takes an outstanding and loyal staff and a whole lot of love to run it! To understand this phenomenon, we need to go back to the beginning- 1912 to be exact.
As tourists and local citizens strolled the streets of downtown San Antonio, they would invariably be lured by the intoxicating aroma of magnificent food at the “Manhattan Cafe.” Whether you were shopping at Joske’s, working downtown, or sharing a dinner with family and friends, The Manhattan Cafe was THE place to go! Established and owned by the Dan Anthony family, the seafood restaurant was created on Rector Street in 1965 and aptly named: “Sea Island Shrimp House.” The birth of the premier, award winning seafood restaurant, was exemplary of the dedication and love of Dan and Chrissy Anthony. Chrissy will be the first one to tell you that when she started she knew nothing about the restaurant business. But she dove in with an inherent enthusiasm that created a loyal and contagious spirit to everyone around her. What she did not have in experience, she made up for in integrity and quality of service. Beloved by her employees and diners, Sea Island has now created a dynasty of loyal seafood lovers that would not consider eating anywhere else!
Her dedication, love and outstanding quality is as obvious today as it was 46 years ago!
Expanding to six locations, Chrissy and son, Barclay, still run a hands-on business. However, if you expect to learn Chrissy’s secret recipe for her hand breaded fried shrimp- think again! That is top secret and will stay that way! Our crew was lucky enough to be taken behind the scenes to see the creation of this magnificent cuisine- from the hand filet of the fresh fish, to the secret breading of the greaseless fried shrimp and fish- to the fabulous coleslaw and spinach. If that was not enough, you can inhale the fresh hush puppies that make you feel like you are at Grand-ma’s house on Sunday! Yum- Yum! No one leaves hungry at Sea Island!
