Cheryl Cuzco Bangert, owner and executive chef of Cheryl's by the Bay in Rockport, combines local ingredients with her signature presentation to give diners a true taste of Texas in this month's Table Talk.

Since many of your dishes are seafood-based, how would you rate Texas shrimp? Texas beef? 

I feel badly for those who have never tasted shrimp fresh out of Texas waters. I rate Texas shrimp right up there with lobster from Maine. And, I think the cattlemen of Texas take an artisan's pride when raising their beef cattle. It definitely shows in the quality and taste, which is why I serve only Texas-raised beef.

What are your favorite Texas ingredients and why? 

Besides shrimp and beef, I enjoy oysters from Aransas Bay when in season, fresh-gigged flounder, Texas 1015 sweet onions, Valley lemons, Ruby Red grapefruit, pecans, goat cheese, Texas Star potatoes, Tivoli tomatoes and TAM jalapenos. I like anything that comes from a backyard garden, including the spineless okra I grew this summer. Yum!

As a promoter of Texas wine, what would be a nice entrée/wine pairing from your menu?

 I would pair a spicy Gewürztraminer from Becker Vineyards in Stonewall with any dish I serve. It is hands down a perfect pairing, as they mutually complement each other.

What or who inspired you to pursue a career in cooking?

I don't think what I do would be considered having a "career" in cooking.  Since my business and creative interests are so varied, they seem to take many shapes, and as a result, I have several enterprises. For me, to cook is to play and for that I would have to give credit to my mother. She never gave the worn-out admonishment "don't play with your food" most mothers give their children. She encouraged it and was an offender herself. The act of dining at her table was all about fun and taste. My business acumen comes directly from my paternal great-grandmother, Cora L. McKinney. She owned and operated several restaurants in mining towns and cities in Missouri, Oklahoma and Arkansas during the Wild West days and was quite astute at seizing business opportunities. Her restaurants served the upscale clientele that came along with the money made in a boom. 

Are Texas wines a preferred choice from your customers? 

Texas wines are becoming more and more popular. A Malbec from Becker Vineyards is outstanding in price and quality, and I would put it head to head with a Malbec from Argentina.

What is your signature dish or standout menu item?

The signature is in the presentation. I try to incorporate the six tastes of food: salty, sweet, pungent, bitter, astringent and sour onto every plate. By doing so, one gets a completely balanced meal. Many of my regular clientele tell me they come in again and again because they begin to have an intense craving for my food. I have jokingly been accused of spiking it with addictive substances. 

What is the most rewarding compliment you've received for your cooking or your restaurant? 

It's the unspoken compliment that I take to heart the most-- plate that comes back to the kitchen devoid of a crumb or line of sauce, or the diner that gives you a near bull's-eye stab to the hand for presumption when removing their seemingly finished plate are both examples of great compliments.

Have you ever been so impressed with another chef's cooking that you asked for the recipe or secretly tried to recreate it?

The women behind the Pyrex or Tupperware dish of a heirloom family recipe brought to a local pot-luck meal are the ones I will saddle up to and try to get recipes from. That's how I got my cornbread salad recipe I serve. If you haven't had cornbread salad when the Tivoli tomatoes are in season, you are missing a huge slice of Americana at its best.

How would you describe the Cheryl's by the Bay dining experience?

It all depends on one's comfort zone in art, music and food. I seem to especially delight the jaded diner who thinks they have seen and eaten it all. In the words of the Greek philosopher Epicurus, "I have never wished to cater to the crowd; for what I know they do not approve, and what they approve I do not know."

What was the greatest challenge in transitioning the Perini family ranch into an acclaimed steakhouse? 

We actually started catering with the ranch chuck wagon in 1973. We opened the steakhouse in 1983. At this time, the term "steakhouse" wasn't a popular concept and restaurants weren't cooking over mesquite. Also, our location on the ranch in Buffalo Gap certainly didn't attract drive-by business.

What's the farthest distance someone has traveled to dine at Perini Ranch?
 Now, 25 years later, we are a true destination restaurant, and have guests from all over the U.S., and sometimes internationally. It's very exciting to read the guest book and see the license plates in the parking lot. 

How would you characterize the dining atmosphere at Perini Ranch?
I have always referred to the steakhouse as a "nice joint" that serves real Texas food. The atmosphere is rustic and casual, but in a very unique setting because of the ranch and the beauty of Buffalo Gap.

Have you ever cooked for a celebrity?
Over the years, we've had some great opportunities to work with both celebrities and politicians. The steakhouse has attracted many famous people over the years, including Clint Eastwood, Billy Bob Thornton, and our friend and regular customer, Robert Duvall. We have also had the opportunity to cater for President and Mrs. George W. Bush, while hosting the presidents of Russia and China.

What are your favorite Texas ingredients and why?
Of course, it's beef. I believe in going home with the one that brought you to the dance.

How did Texas wines come to be on your menu?
We believe in promoting Texas products, and Texas wines have come a long way. Our wine list consists of both Texas and California wines, and the Texas wines are great sellers.

When/how did you first become interested in cooking?
I really learned to cook on the wagon and I've always loved it. I never went to culinary school, I just learned by experimenting.

What on the Perini menu makes you most proud?
What makes me most proud is that the steakhouse has stayed the course featuring simple, Texas food. Twenty-five years later, it's even more popular than ever. We're still cooking beef, seasoned with our dry rub, cooked over mesquite coals. It's still good!

What is your favorite/signature dish to prepare and why?
Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce - it's a great finish to the meal, and some of our customers drive in just for the bread pudding.

What dish is the most challenging to prepare and why?
We feature simple food - we try not to make it too challenging!

What makes a great chef?
Of course, I'm not a chef, I'm a chuck wagon cook, but I think a great chef understands flavors and doesn't overcomplicate a dish. 

Perini Steak Ranchhouse