Get ready to crack into as much crawfish as your heart desires: It’s seafood boil season. This single-pot meal is a longstanding Southern tradition with roots in Louisiana. It typically consists of crawfish or shrimp, plus corn, andouille sausage, and potatoes, boiled in spices and served family-style for a lively social gathering. If you want to get a taste of the tradition in NoVA, head to these seafood boil events nearby.
Lost Rhino Brewery
April 5
Pick up pounds of hot, freshly boiled crawfish flown in live from Louisiana at this Ashburn brewery. The crustaceans will be paired with potatoes, corn, and andouille sausage, all prepared fresh. There will be live music from Mercy Creek in the taproom during the event. You can preorder your crawfish by the pound online. 21730 Red Rum Dr., Ashburn, starting at $15 for 1 pound of crawfish
Gray Ghost Winery
April 26–27
If you’re willing to travel south for an afternoon of fresh seafood and great wine, Gray Ghost has an event for you. Blue Ridge Seafood will serve up a seafood boil April 26 and 27, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. A ticket gets you a serving of the dish, plus two glasses of wine. There will be live music from John Sweet starting at 1 p.m. 14706 Lee Hwy., Amissville, $65
Ornery Beer Co.
May 3–4
Ornery Beer Company will host two days of its crawfish boil at two different locations. Head to Fairfax to enjoy the event on May 3, then move on to Bristow on May 4. The event will include crawfish, corn, andouille, and potatoes, with cornbread and slaw on the side. 3950 University Dr., Ste. 106, Fairfax; 8088 Flannery Ct., Bristow, $59
Seafood Boil Cooking Class at The Westin Washington National Harbor
May 17
If you’re thinking of throwing your own boil this summer, learn the essentials at this class at the Westin in National Harbor. You’ll have a boil of shrimp, black mussels, potatoes, and corn, plus a side of hush puppies and pairings of shandy and sangria. You’ll also learn to make your own sauces to accompany the dish. 171 Waterfront St., Ft. Washington, Maryland, $107
Feature image, stock.adobe.com
