Despite the fact that the season has yet to begin, I have been plagued with major crawfish cravings. I consulted the NOLA Twitter population for recommendations of seafood restaurants that offer dine-in service. I amassed quite the list of restaurants that I will soon be hard at work scratching off one by one.

A stand-out suggestion came from Chef Mary Sonnier, who stated that she enjoyed the offerings from Smitty’s Seafood in Kenner. Since I don’t make it out to that area too often, I decided to try them out for myself. Knowing that crawfish aren’t at their best right now, I knew that the price per pound would be steep and there was a high probability of being disappointed. I opted for a starter of their seafood gumbo and just three pounds of crawfish.

I am an odd one when it comes to gumbo. I don’t care for sausage, chicken or turkey variations. I prefer a simple seafood recipe that’s easy on the oysters. This cup from Smitty’s was very tasty and did the job of satiating my cravings for a good gumbo. The roux lacked a bit of depth, but was still quite flavorful. The oyster meat, minced and mostly undetectable, added what I thought would be a sufficient amount of its essential flavoring. While I do not like oysters (Yes, I know. Blasphemy.), I don’t think you can make a good seafood gumbo without them.

My daughter ordered a simple ham and cheddar po-boy with a side of baked macaroni. The quality of the ham was better than she and I anticipated and was deemed “yummy”. She also noted that the bread was chewier than she liked, but since I didn’t try the bread, I couldn’t agree or disagree on the matter. The baked macaroni came out in a brick that could easily feed three people. We all sort of stared at it for a few seconds, taken aback by its enormity. I prefer a creamier baked macaroni, but for those who like this home-style variation, it’s a pleaser.

Alright, now let’s get down to business. As I said before, I only ordered three pounds of crawfish. Had I not ordered the gumbo, I would have ordered five.  The price per pound is definitely steep this early in the year. At the time of my visit I paid $4.99 per pound. When my tray arrived, I noted that most were intact, of a reasonable size and very few had hard shells. We were already off to a good start!

The seasoning is exactly how I like it; I wasn’t crying in pain, but I wasn’t reaching for the hot sauce, either. The levels of spiciness, saltiness and lemon were well-balanced and even throughout the batch. At another restaurant, I was once served a tray that tasted like it was made from two different pots and weren’t even close to being similar in flavor. Not at Smitty’s. Their crawfish is also very clean. All boiled sides, such as potatoes, mushrooms and heads of garlic, can be ordered at an additional cost. My potatoes came six to an order, I believe, but by the time I decided to get them, I certainly could have done without. I did it in the name of science, I tell ya.

My experience at Smitty’s was a pleasant one, so I thank Chef Mary for the recommendation. I will definitely return in a few weeks when the crawfish are in their prime and the price is more reasonable.