🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <2tmprm$bcb@opel.secondsource.com>, John Kennedy wrote:
> Last December my wife and I decided to take an extended weekend in NO.  
> One of the things on our agenda was to try some of these great crabs while
> there and avoid all the middlemen.  We struck out in search of the great
> Lousiana crab.  After scoping the restaurants in the city and finding mostly
> white tablecloths, we headed out of town a bit and stopped into every place
> that looked promising.  The standard answer was "we got shrimp, we got
> crawfish", but no crabs.  After driving halfway around Lake Ponchartrain,
> we were directed back to Deanies, in Bucktown.
<munch> 
> Here came the crabs.  They were no larger than 4-5 inches.
> Then I grabbed for one at the same time my wife did and words were not
> necessary.  They were from the refrigerator.
<munch> 
> So, my questions for you transplanted New Orleaners:
> 
> Where were the crabs?
> Are they not considered the delicacy that shrimp and crawfish are?
> Do they ship them all north for resale?
> 
> Are steamed crabs unheard of?  What about Old Bay?  I know that's made
> locally, but what do other places use?
> 
> And finally, what would people there think of the way we prepare them?

I'm a Marylander who enjoys vacationing in New Orleans.  I, too, was
astonished by the size and flavor of Louisiana crabs -- the only crabs
I've found in the country which can actually rival Maryland Blue Crabs.
I had a phenomenal platter of two stuffed soft shell crabs at Bart's by
the Lake in one of the parks on the north side of New Orleans.  Both crabs
were at least 6-7 inches wide, and the entire dish cost about $11.  Bart's
is definitely in a yuppie area, but the park is beautiful and the crabs
are terrific.  I don't know if they steam them, or if they even know about
Old Bay, but they sure did a great job with the soft crabs.

-- Jonathan Crawford
   Ark Technologies, Inc.