Freda's Seafood Grill is one of those good Austin restaurants that are not quite so easy to find. To make matters worse, the city has barricaded Pecan Park Blvd. at 183, blocking access to Freda's from that busy thoroughfare. You have to go in off Highway 620, just west of 183 and turn on to Pecan Park. There's a Holiday Inn Express just before Freda's. Trust me, it's worth going to.

OK? So we've reviewed how to get to Freda's. Now for a tutorial on what to eat when you get there. The appetizers are varied and have that little N'Awlins flare that is so pleasing to the palate. The Crab Cakes are so darned tasty it's difficult to stop with one order. The corn relish and the citrus burre blanc sauce are the perfect complement. I'm also a fan of the Fried Oysters. The cornmeal batter is the key to the mellow taste of these deep fried denizens of the deep. And the remoulade dipping sauce adds to the dish. If you want to splurge a bit, go for the Oysters Rockefeller. This is the vintage version of the dish, analogous to the penultimate preparation at Antoine's in New Orleans. And darn near as tasty. Also try the Cajun Fried Pickles. These are hand-breaded and fried to the perfect level, and served with a BBQ ranch dressing that just makes your lips want to start smacking involuntarily.

On the entrée side, Freda's seafood offerings are both tempting and reasonably priced. The Stuffed Shrimp are deep fried, and then filled with a mixture of crab, crawfish, and shrimp. Served with a saffron rice, this is a very tasty dish. As is the Pine Nut Crusted Trout. The visual appeal of this dish is stunning and the taste is commensurate. The trout is fresh and flaky tender and topped with a lovely yellow bell pepper vinaigrette that produces a wonderful flavor rush. Another very interesting dish is the Gilled Tuna Cous-Cous. This dish works because the tuna is usually perfectly grilled (it should never be more than medium rare). The citrus asparagus cous-cous is creative and lends a nice offset to the more intense flavor of the tuna.

And carnivores will enjoy the Ribeye And Shrimp. This is a grilled New Orleans style Ribeye topped with blackened shrimp and a wicked, almost sensually rich Cajun cream sauce. My advice: between medium and medium rare on this one.

And if you're looking for one killer Sunday Brunch, Freda's has the very best one in North Austin.

There are not many owner operated restaurants in this neck of the woods. With a few exceptions like The Texican, and Freda's, this is pretty much chain city. So the way I see it, you want to dine at a place where the buck stops with the owner, and not some 19-year old assistant manager named Ricky, make it a point to seek out Freda's. She will insure that you meal is everything you wanted. Again, from 620 to Pecan Park, past the Holiday Inn express.

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