Advise for Crawfish Boil Mar 2012

[cinrand]

Hi! We will be in NOLA from Mar 14 to Mar 17. We arrive at airport at 7pm on the Wed which will be 5pm our time, so am looknig to have an authentic crawfish boil -probably at 9pm by the time we get checked in to hotel etc. I will be gettting hotel in French Quarter or Downtown-but haven't got one yet. Ive looked for reccomentations online (didn't find any recent or for downtown on Chowhound.) As it is our first night I'd love it to be a local family or neighourhood place (not a big tourist spot) but- quality and location are king this time! Can you please provide any best/better options or advise with my list of possible places that include:

Pier 424 -bourbon st,
Daisy Dukes FQ
Deanies FQ,
Cajun cafe- at the market
the Gally (?)

I think these wont work:
Cajun Seafood -too far away ,
MRB- dive bar- have a 9 yr old with us,
Big Fisherman-takeout only

Thank you very much!

[cinrand]

Hi, Thank you everyone! I am going to map them all out once I get hotel location...and then make a plan a, b and maybe c! depending on what time we actually are ready- it seems like closing hours are going to be another big factor. I like the stopping on the way from the airport-and will make that one of the plans if we feel collectively feel like managing bringing 4 peoples suitcases into a restaurant.
Cheers!

[mcegielski]

you need to get out of the quarter for this. do you have a rental car? i've got 2-3 really good suggestions but they are all about 15 min from FQ. those are for the most part all tourists traps with bad food.

[expatorleanian]

also, most family-style neighborhood places will be closing up by around 9:00.

[mcegielski]

go right from the airport to the Galley on Metairie Rd or Big Fisherman/Fisherman's Cove on Williams Blvd in Kenner.

[collardman]

Remember this is boiled crawfish. Yes, boiled crawfish can be screwed up, but at least Deanies made their name with it and the 17th St Canal store is packed. The FQ place might be OK.

But if possible I'd go with the Kenner choices near the airport, including Kenner Seafood, Harbor, Stingray, etc.

[hazelhurst]

I think that you are right. For me, crawfish boiling around town varies from year-to-year. Sort of like the "oldest established permanent floating crap game in New York." One year X is good, the next year, it's too hot or too salty. (I hasten to add that this variation can occure even in a good shop). But crawfish boils were never a New Orleans tradition...only since the 1970's really.

[nola1421]

Collardman,

I will be coming to NOLA in the first week of June and staying at the Omni Royal Orleans in the FQ, Where is this 17 street Canel Store located at? I am thinking that this store sells cook crawfish to go. The wife and I love crawfish.

Thank you

[hazelhurst]

Even though they are selling the hell out of them at Jazz Fest, I talked two two restaurant guys I know and they have given up. Shells are too hard already, they said. I have been invited to a wedding reception tomorrow that is having a boil and I'll see for myself then.

Someone told me (stricly rumor) that Gov. Jindal was talking about raising watr levels in the Atchafalaya by "opening some gates" which I guess would mean Morganza. But that makes no sense because (a) it is too late anyway and (b) he doesn't have authority over the Corps of Engineers (to say nothing of the lawsuits for ruined crops etc).

[collardman]

Per local radio, it was the crawfish farmers who were lobbying Jindal to divert more water through Morganza.

The trip to the lake at the 17th Street Canal, i.e., Bucktown, can be worth it. If you don't like what you see at Deanies, there are other casual places within a block , mainly R&O highly rated for their poor boys. Or you can ease back a way to Harrison Ave. and go to Mondo.

[hazelhurst]

I hadn't heard that but it still seems to me that that would be a COE call. Don;t see where Jindal figures into it but maybe he does somehow. I dunno.

Crawfish at the reception were small and hardshell. Season's over.

[nola1421]

Thank you Collardman, I will take a cab ride out to Buck town, always wanted to check that area out. The last couple of times in NOLA during the spring, we have eaten at Deanies in the FQ and the boil crawfish wasn't bad.

[TaTee]

Cooked crawfish to go: my favorite spots are Schaeffer and Rusich in Bucktown, 1726 Lake Avenue 504-833-3973
http://www.yelp.com/biz/schaefer-and-rusich-seafood-metairie
and Big Fisherman, 3301 on Magazine St. 504-897-9907 http://www.bigfishermanseafood.com/
You could call ahead and have the taxi stop and pick them up on the way to the hotel.

[nola1421]

Thank you for the tip.