6TH STREET. For bayou-style seafood, look no further than Boiling Pot. The restaurant's Cajun Combo selection is a vast quantity of blue crab, shrimp, sausage, potatoes, and corn dumped on the table for all to share. Other options include gumbo, oysters, and etouffee. For dessert, Key lime pie is ideal, but if you're feeling a little more adventurous, try chocolate-covered crawfish heads!

WEST END. It's not specifically a seafood restaurant, but Café Josie has a way with marine foods that few in town can match. Tropical cuisines serve as inspiration: lots of fruits, vegetables, and perky spices, not to mention mesquite grilling, give vibrant flavor to every dish. Menu highlights include herb-crusted red snapper with mango-habanero butter and roasted pepitas, and grilled mahi mahi with pineapple-mango salsa. Spiced rum pork tenderloin is a worthy alternative to seafood. For dessert, choose blackberry crisp, topped with macadamia-oatmeal crust and a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

SOUTH AUSTIN. Super casual and a bit on the old-fashioned side, Cherry Creek does serve up reliably good fried and blackened catfish, but they have several additional tasty Texas eats, too. Chicken fried steak, fried green tomatoes, po' boys, ribs and fried chicken are all fantastic. Traditional Southern desserts are also winners, including the pecan-crusted chocolate pie, Key Lime pie and peach cobbler. Not the healthiest of meals, perhaps, but definitely a satisfying one!

DOWNTOWN. Stylish, popular Eddie V's is a great choice for seafood. Start with simple unadorned oysters, or go for something more complex like ahi tartare with sesame and curry oils. Main dishes run the gamut as well, from broiled swordfish with wild mushrooms and black truffle fondue, to parmesan-crusted lemon sole with garlic butter and plum tomatoes. Gulf snapper topped with crab and lemon-chive butter is another favorite, and land-based options include grilled prime steaks and veal chops. Service is very good, attentive but not obtrusive.

DOWNTOWN. Upscale, glamorous Finn & Porter ranks as one of the absolutely best places in town for fresh seafood and prime steaks. The menu changes daily, but rest assured that you'll find superb preparation and a creative approach to cuisine. Begin the adventure with hot-smoked Pacific oysters Rockefeller or pan-seared foie gras, and then agonize over dishes like vanilla butter-poached whole lobster, grilled diver scallops, and teriyaki-glazed Japanese yellowtail hamachi. An ocean's bounty of fresh sushi is also sublime, as are sizzling steaks and chops. Thanks to Finn & Porter, you'll be reconsidering what a hotel restaurant can be. Good wine list, too.