If you’re new to Houston Texas and the South then you may not be familiar with Crawfish season and how locals look forward to this time of year. It’s almost like the official start to all Spring/Summer outdoor festivities. View the most popular options and Modern HTX’s personal favorites for places you can enjoy Crawfish around Houston this season!
There’s a debate between cooking styles of crawfish. Whether one should add the seasoning to the boil or season them externally after the boil. See responses from Brooks Bassler, CEO and Founder of BB’s Cafe and by Chef Michael Sanguinetti from Edison Houston below!
Photo courtesy of gardenandgun.com
Location: 2701 White Oak Dr, Houston, TX 77009, & 2710 Montrose Blvd #A, Houston, TX 77006
For the best crawfish in town, you must stop at BBs. BBs restaurants are known for a lot of great foods and our crawfish is no exception. In fact, BBs crawfish are considered one of the best in Houston, TX. Our crawfish is prepared with the same authentic, Louisiana and Texas flavors that we have become known for. Our Tex-Orleans style (cajun with a Texas twist) cooking will keep you wanting more!
Response from Brooks Bassler, CEO and Founder
“Crawfish is a lot like gumbo. Everyone prepares their bugs differently!”
We have found and we firmly believe that the majority of folks in Texas prefer their crawfish with spice on the outside. Texas folks like their crawfish spicier than the so called “purist” from some parts of Louisiana and specifically New Orleans. The “purist” believes that cooking the crawfish in the boil and letting it “soak” is the way, actually, the ONLY way to do crawfish. All the spice is absorbed by the crawfish and gets into the shells and into the meat.
Over the past 10 years of selling crawfish I have learned a few things:
1. It’s incredibly difficult to sell thousands of pounds of Louisiana style crawfish out of one kitchen by performing the “soaking” technique. It’s clumsy and dysfunctional for commercial settings. It’s for sitting in the back yard, local bar, or seasonal crawfish joints that may sell a few hundred pounds per day.
3. Houston Crawfish are better tasting according to the vast majority of Houstonians. The “soaking” technique is cleaner. You don’t get as messy.
4. The “soaking” technique is not the lay of the land in Texas. Folks in Texas don’t mind getting dirty when it comes to mudbugs. They like getting messy and licking the spice off their fingers and even off the bugs!
5. We prefer Houston-style crawfish as you get a nice blend of various cultures. At BB’s we actually have a 3-way system of preparing our crawfish. We do a quick boil and soak, dry bath and wet bath. This brings together 3 cultures: Louisiana style, Texas style and a small hint of Vietnamese style. Very messy, yes but very addicting.
FYI, we have been doing our crawfish the same for the past 5 years with very few tweaks to our recipe. We have only tweaked our operational strategies.
What’s the Dealio about BB’s Paste?
BB’s Crawfish Paste is a hot commodity. Our paste is a special recipe, and we have put a lot of love into our recipe and our operation of crawfish over the years. We feel that our improvements have been well worth it. These improvements were all made with YOU, our amazing customer, in mind. The results of developing our crawfish recipe and putting more into our operation mean that the recipe is expensive to make. We place the special paste in every single batch of crawfish ordered, so rest assured–you’re getting the paste. If you have had our crawfish, you know that we aren’t stingy with this paste, and it’s always plentiful and flavorful in each batch of crawfish we sell. But, in order to estimate how much we would need on hand to sell to customers, we would have to put it at a price point that we wouldn’t feel good about passing on to the customer. Most importantly, BB’s Cafe has no desire to sell this paste at this time. We do, however, have crawfish seasoning and crawfish dippin’ sauce available for you on the Crawfish menu as add-ons. We promise it’s YUMMY and if you really love dipping your tails in the paste, there is plenty at the bottom of each crawfish order. Click here to visit the BB’s Cafe website.
Location: 606 E 11th St, Houston, TX 77008
No need to venture down the bayous of Louisiana to savor the flavor of Authentic Louisiana Crawfish. We’re bringing a combined 17 yrs of crawfish farming and purveying experience here to Houston and your taste buds. It just boils down to cultural authenticity. We’re talking Freshly Farmed Louisiana Crawfish soaked properly and seasoned to perfection every time. Our Crawfish are delivered daily, from “The Pond to your Plate.” We’re a one stop shop for your Crawfish cravings. You can drive through for our Hot Boiled Take Out Crawfish or stop in and purchase all the ingredients needed for your own backyard boil. Either way, we’ve got you and all your buds covered. Click here to visit The Boil House website.
Location: 1206 W. 20th Street Houston, TX 77008
Tommy Duplechin and his brother Billy learned to cook in Louisiana, where they were born and raised, and because of their devotion to Louisiana meats, spices and seafood, they import as much as possible from our neighbor to the east. Late-season crawfish are covered in a lip-numbing spice blend that Billy created and has manufactured in Louisiana to ensure authenticity. Red beans are served in a styrofoam cup with a scoop of white rice that helps to quell the heat of the chile powder and pepper in the ruddy stew dotted with Louisiana sausage, another proprietary recipe trucked in from out of state. Click here to visit the Cajun Boot website.
Photo courtesy of Edison Houston
Location: 4203 Edison, Houston, TX 77009
Speaking with Chef Michael Sanguinetti at Edison Houston, you can tell he’s got a passion for flavor and spice! Choosing the traditional cajun boil and then seasoning the Crawfish externally with garlic, salt, sugar, butter and asian spices like Gochutgaru and Sichimi togarashi, often used in Kimch dishes. A combination of flavors and spices that should have your tastebuds jumping with excitement! Currently, Crawfish is served on Saturday’s & Sunday from noon until they run out for the day through Mid July 2017 for $7.99 per pound. This includes your traditional corn, potatoes and sausage. However, coming soon to the boil are brussels, edamame, artichoke hearts and your order will be served with biscuits. Do yourself a favor add Edison Houston to your list for crawfish this season!
THE CHEF – MICHAEL SANGUINETTI
“Chef Mikey” cooks with essence.
Growing up in a Cajun French family, Chef Michael was born in the heart of New Orleans. Raised in Texas, Chef Michael demonstrated a true eagerness in the kitchen at a very young age. After mastering top in his class at the internationally known Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Institute, he was Chef de Partie at Club Mediterranee Columbus Isle Resort in San Salvador Island, the Bahamas. For three years, he advanced at Miramont Country Club, a new Luxury Golf Resort in Texas, as Executive Sous Chef.
At age 19, he won two silver medals at Le Chaine de Rotisseurs for their annual young chef competition. To pursue his passion for Asian Cuisine Chef Michael emerged as Executive Sous Chef at the renowned Outrigger Hotel in Oahu, Hawaii. With great success and recognition, he was presented the thriving opportunity to orchestrate as the Executive Chef for Chef extraordinaire Jacques Fox and Chef David Denis’ new French restaurant, Artisans, in Houston, Texas. Chef Michael has earned a bronze medal for the American Culinary Federation quick fire challenge at the Houston Country Club and is honored by the acclaimed Escoffier food and wine Society.
With his exuberant, approachable cooking style and infectious energy he presented at Artisans French restaurant, he also devised the kitchen program at the thriving Revelry on Richmond Gastropub in Montrose. In pursuit of expanding his unique culinary ideals. Michael started his Restaurant and Consulting firm MSRG in December 2015, Chef Michael is the Executive Chef of Edison Houston in Near Northside Houston. Also has two future projects a brewery opening in July and a Bar in Austin in June. Click here to visit The Edison Houston website.
Location: 1005 Blalock Road, Inside 99 Ranch Market, Houston, TX 77055
It’s a brand new year and we’re off to a early start on Live Crawfish from Louisiana! LA fans and newcomers alike, stop by a location near you and check out what the hottest Crawfish spot in town is serving up in year 2017! Click here to visit the LA Crawfish website.
Location: 209 Gentry St, Spring, Texas, United States
Adults (13 & Over): $12.00 at the gate
Children ages 6 – 12: $5.00 at the gate
Children FIVE (5) and under are FREE with an Adult
They also have GROUPON offers available online.
ONE WEEKEND ONLY – APRIL 29th AND 30th
The Festival times –
SATURDAY – 12:00 pm – 12:00 pm
SUNDAY – 12:00 pm – 6:00 pm
WHAT IS THERE TO EAT?
There will be many vendors serving all types of food from fresh boiled crawfish, cajun food, BBQ, burgers, sandwiches, vegetarian items, snacks, ice cream and plenty more. Come hungry! Click here to visit The Texas Crawfish Festival website.
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