Crawdaddy’s Select Crawfish – Hot Lunch

In Shanghai they’re cooked with mouth-paralyzing Szechuan peppercorns. In Sweden they’re served with sugar and dill. Here in Louisiana, they’re boiled with mounds of cayenne pepper and served on top of newspaper. Regardless of your region, the humble crawfish is a warm-weather staple.

Down here everyone has an aunt who makes the perfect dark roux or a special friend who really knows how to boil crawfish.

Well, you may now remove their numbers from your speed dial. Crawdaddy’s on Government Street is boiling up crawfish without all the hassle of shuttling between seafood stores and backyards. You need only supply the newspaper and cold beer. Crawdaddy’s prices are regularly posted and change with the season, but on a recent trip I got eight pounds, two ears of corn and four potatoes for $28.99. These bright red critters were plump, full-flavored and largely free from grit.

4965 Government St.

366-6779

The shop keeps odd hours, so be sure to call before you show up. You can’t eat onsite, but that’s why houses come with front porches. Grab a sack, open a longneck, wave at your neighbors and watch the sun go down over our particularly tasty little city.

For more by Frank McMains, including blogs from his trip to China, click here.