We have been avid devotees of the Mosquito Café (628 14th Street, Galveston) since it opened back in 1999. After Hurricane Ike, we didn't know if it would ever return or even be the same. Lucky for us, it is back and better than ever. Mosquito Café isn't on the Seawall, nor does it serve seafood (it actually has some pretty tasty fish tacos, but generally it's land fare). But the place exudes charm.
We visited on a Thursday evening and were pleasantly surprised to discover there was a very reasonable happy hour. Three house wines were available for $10 a bottle, and $1.50 bought a pint of beer. We decided on a Chardonnay and two Shock Top Brews, and we were quite pleased with the happy buzz we got for less than $15. Once the alcohol had warmed our blood, we were unstoppably drawn to the beautiful glass case filled with a plethora of scrumptious-looking baked goods. There were decadent layer cakes, rainbow-colored cupcakes, plate-size cookies and deliciously dark brownies. Choosing two to sample was not an easy task.
In the end, we went with the chocolate toffee cookie and the zucchini cream cheese cake for contrast. The cookie was oversize and densely chocolaty. The first bite revealed a crisp, yet chewy texture that tasted fresh out of the oven. The gooey bits of toffee were reminiscent of caramel, but deeper in flavor. It was delicious.
As for the cake, we generally stay away from veggies in our desserts, but this was beautiful beyond reason and we just had to try it. Glossy alabaster cream cheese frosting was thickly sandwiched between crumbly layers of spicy cake studded with crunchy pecans. Even though it was split between three sugar-hungry diners, it was so rich, we could barely finish it. Between the fudgy cookie, luscious layer cake and refreshingly crisp wine and beer, we left the Mosquito Café just as we always do: satisfied and eager to return.
