Crawfish in unexpected places

Now that spring’s in full swing and the crustaceans are crawling out of their holes, you’re guaranteed to get quality crawfish on menus all over the city. If you’re not planning to buy a pound or ten for a backyard boil, check out these tasty—and unusual—ways of eating the munchable mudbug on local menus. Wontons: It’s crawfish with a spicy Asian twist in Boutin’s tasty wontons, served with jalapeno, pepperjack and Parmesan cheeses and a sweet plum-ginger dipping sauce. Enchiladas: Southern meets south of the border at Mestizo, where the Cancun entrée comes with three tasty seafood options—including a delectable spinach and crawfish enchilada and a crawfish taco slathered in fresh guacamole. Arancine: This is the best time of the year to get your hands on Gino’s crawfish version of their classic Sicilian arancine dish. Filled with ground crawfish tail meat, sauce, peas, and Parmesan cheese, fried and covered in red sauce, it’s an unforgettable Italian masterpiece. Pie: Harrington’s Café and Tony’s Seafood both serve up the classic Southern crawfish pie. The thick pastry filled with hearty gravy and juicy tail meat—nothing says Louisiana quite like it.