23559 Wed Apr 02 18:42:10 -0800 2003 10 1 San Francisco Bay Area 0 89870 Just back from a fabulous honeymoon in New Orleans (Bayona, Acme Oyster House, Uglesich's, Galatoire and the penultimate -- Stella! -- working on getting to my reviews on the NO board). Now I am in the mood to do a crawdad boil for my dad's birthday. He swears you can buy live ones in the Bay Area, and not pay the shipping charges. Anyone know of any places in the East Bay (preferably) that sell them? Ready to suck some heads! Wed Apr 02 18:42:10 -0800 2003 0 foodnut 1 89871 omega 3 seafood in napa will get them for you if you don't find them locally. rich Wed Apr 02 18:53:39 -0800 2003 89870 0 rich 1 89875 Here's a couple of tips from last time the subject came up. BTW, I grew up calling them "crawdads" (instead of crawfish or crayfish), but that seems to be a less common term -- did you grow up around here? Link: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/23225#87865 Wed Apr 02 19:29:39 -0800 2003 89870 0 Ruth Lafler 2 89920 Born and bred in Alameda, your current hometown! My brother and I used to fish for them out of the Truckee river with a string and a piece of bacon on a hook. Dad was the only one who ate them back then though. Thu Apr 03 13:37:34 -0800 2003 89875 0 foodnut 3 89929 Ah, I used the same method in Lake Temescal in Oakland when I was a kid. Must be the preferred local usage (both the term "crawdad" and the "bacon on a string" fishing technique). Thu Apr 03 14:23:58 -0800 2003 89920 0 Ruth Lafler 1 89877 I have seen them at the Concord farmers market, but not all the time. If you drive up into the delta there are all manner of places, sorry I can't remember names. There are usually signs along the road. Wed Apr 02 19:41:24 -0800 2003 89870 0 Bung 1 89885 Also available at the SF farmer's market seasonally [appologies-can't remember the season-not at the moment] If you've been buying them in rural Louisiana, you may be shocked at the Farmer's market price... but they are "good eatin." Wed Apr 02 21:21:49 -0800 2003 89870 0 Jimbo 1 89891 I once asked Ver Brugge (on College in Oakland) if they could get fresh crawfish, and they said they could. I haven't tried ordering, though. I'd call them and also call the seafood shop at Market Hall (who will have boiled crawfish in season) and see if they can get them. And, if you succeed, please let me know! Wed Apr 02 22:35:27 -0800 2003 89870 0 PegS 1 89897 Housewive's Market in downtown Oakland always has live crawdads (and everything else to make any creole/cajun dish.) Wed Apr 02 23:56:25 -0800 2003 89870 0 chowfish 1 89907 It's been a while since I was there, but there used to be huge vats of live crawdads at the Friday morning Farmers' Market in downtown Oakland (around 8th Street and Broadway.) Does anyone know if they're still there? Thu Apr 03 12:22:21 -0800 2003 89870 0 mcchowhound 1 90026 If you wanna let someone else do the boiling, the Isleton Crawdad Festival (Isleton is a little burg in the Delta) happens in June: http://www.isletoncoc.org/crawdad.htm Fri Apr 04 13:48:31 -0800 2003 89870 0 Dave