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(August 31, 2007)
With all the hubbub and clamor of W. 6th St. with
its college bars and frantic nightlife, the area of 6th St. just west
of I-35 sometimes gets overlooked. Aside from the fact that Austin's
bird of preference, the lovely and quiescent Grackle, seems to have
adopted this part of Sixth Street, you don't want to miss one of the
more fun restaurants in the city, the spicy and savory Boiling Pot.
The name says it all. You want romantic dining:
well this joint is not for you. The Boiling Pot is a raucous celebration
(with a Cajun touch) of mostly things crustacean from the sea, particularly
crabs, which can benefit from boiling. So you put on a bib and start
with some appetizers to prime the pump for what will follow: how about
a Dozen Gulf Oysters on the Half Shell to begin. A little bit of doctoring
with my favorite sauces and then down the hatch. Ice cold and very good.
Then you've got to try a cup of Gumbo with a nice dark roux. This is
also an excellent stimulator of the appetite and has a touch of heat
to it. And of course we have to add a little Red Beans and Rice: very
tasty and gritty. Uncle Thibodeaux would love these. As he would the
dish that I always order with my friends: The Super Duper Combo.
The SDC arrives at your table with an almost regal flourish. Your server
dumps the gigantic bowl out in front of you that's full of Blue Crabs,
(the most famous denizens of Chesapeake Bay and a huge taste treat),
Snow Crabs (also known as Spider Crabs for their long, spindly legs),
Alaskan King Crabs (from cold northern waters famous for their sumptuous
meat) and the almost perfect Stone Crabs, the likes of which you get
at Joe's Stone Crab in Miami Beach. On top of that, you get a half pound
of Shrimp, a pound of Crawfish a half pound of sausage and new potatoes
and corn. Phew!
Now the key is getting some of these great-tasting crustacea open. For
that you use a mallet and a little common sense. The Stone Crabs have
the hardest shell so you really have to give them a whack. The rest
are easier to open, with the exception of the Crawfish, a technique
that I have yet to master to any degree of satisfaction.
My advice: be patient and eat first whatever happens to fall out of
the shell in front of you. Because if you like crustaceans, baby you
are going to like the feast at the Boiling Pot. And no one has you on
a stopwatch on you so just take it one step at a time. And there's plenty
of cold brewskis on hand to make things go down a bit easier. And remember,
no throwing Crawfish at people at other tables!
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