The Cajun Foodie

I often get looks of jealousy and envy from other guys, what can I say, my wife’s gorgeous!  Unless, she’s by my immediate side though, those looks are few and far between.  The other night when we went to eat boiled crawfish, I strolled in by myself and guys were looking at me like I was the new SI cover model.  Of course, it was not me they were looking at however…it was the six pack of cold Bud Select I had in my hands.

You see, the wife and I went to eat boiled crawfish at Crawfish Corner in Opelousas on a Lenten Friday night.  We walk in, look around, and the crawfish look great!  Something was missing though; everyone was drinking diet cokes in bottles!  Panic sets in as we realize we may just have to eat boiled crawfish without that cold crisp beer to make the world right.

Then I saw a friend of mine getting takeout and of course, I ask him, “what’s the deal with no beer here” knowing full and well that he is going to tell me they don’t sell it, which he does.  “But,” he tacks on, “they let you bring six packs in, heck, they’ll even let you bring in an ice chest.”  (Thanks Joey!)

I look at the wife, she looks back at me, and without saying more I am off to the nearest grocery store.  I’m chuckling to myself thinking about whether I should bring this into the place in a bag, stash a couple in my pockets, I didn’t know.  I decide to bring them in the translucent bag and just walk in.

I swear, it was like every guy in the place turned to me and was pea green with envy.  It was one of those moments when the music stops and all you hear is the creaking of chairs as a dozen full grown men turn to look at the door (I’ve seen it in the movies).

It gets better…I sit down with the wife and she tells me she took the liberty of ordering fried pickles for an appetizer!  To say I am a lucky man is understatement!  The pickles were very tasty and had a good batter on them, although a few had the conjoined twin thing going on, and all chefs can take hints from Pluckers in Baton Rouge; fried dill SPEARS in a panko like batter.  Who I am I to complain right now though!

Then the crawfish came.  Good size for this early in the season, cooked perfectly and with a fabulous flavor.  It was a combination of boiled in and sprinkled on heat, you know, where the boil starts to accumulate on your fingers and the temperature rises as you go on.  The ace in the hole was the cold beer though (I almost forgot, the server asked if we wanted to put the beer in their cooler and she would serve it to us as needed!). One guy came up and even asked us how we got the beer and said next time he is bringing his own as well.

We left the rest of the unopened beers in the cooler as a partial tip for the  kitchen, paid and tipped our waitress, and left there with a new appreciation for the restauranteur who forgoes the hassles and red tape of procuring a liquor license.