As a native Texan living in Washington, D.C., I frequently miss the food and traditions of home.  So I was particularly happy to spend a recent Saturday enjoying a bit of hometown food and culture with a crawfish boil.  If you are a Louisianan (or Houstonian) then you know exactly what this is all about.  Beginning in March and tapering off around June each year, it’s about getting together with friends and family, celebrating everything from birthdays to graduations, sharing some drinks (Abita’s Strawberry Harvest Lager, being my favorite), enjoying music and pounds on pounds of all-you-can-eat crawfish.

I’m no newbie to Acadiana Restaurant.  This place is great for groups and brunch so naturally, my cousins, friends, and I have been a few times. The last visit was for my 30th birthday, where we ate in one of the  private dining rooms.

Photo Courtesy of Simoneink

On this occasion, however, I skipped the fancy table linens and flatwear and headed outside to attend Acadiana’s crawfish boil on their patio. This special event is hosted a few times a year and includes a live jazz and Zydeco band, giveaways and unlimited food and drink.  For those unfamiliar with the tradition, a crawfish boil is essentially an outdoor party and food feast, with good music, in a family style setting.

Acadiana gets a lot of things right with their crawfish boil: the cafeteria-style tables covered in newspaper, the Abita Brewery craft beer and all of the other little details that make you feel right at home.  It was such a nice time, that the person who’s never experienced a crawfish boil party could appreciate it just as much as the person who’s hosted their own.