How to eat
a boil
Gloves on. Bib on. Forks stay in the drawer.
Four steps
Suit up
Gloves and a bib are at every table. Use them. Sleeves up.
Let it land
The bag hits the table, steam comes out. Give it a shake so the sauce gets everywhere.
Pour it out
Tip it onto the table paper, or eat straight from the bag. Both are correct.
Dip everything
Corn, potato, rice, bread. The sauce at the bottom is the good part.
Crab legs
Snap at the joint. Bend the shell back and pull — the meat slides out in one piece if you go slow. Crackers and a mallet are on the table for king crab.
Crawfish
The Louisiana rule: twist the head off the tail. Pinch the bottom of the tail and the meat pops out. The head holds the juice and the fat — that part is up to you.
Suck the head, squeeze the tail.
— Louisiana crawfish rule
Shrimp
Head-on: pull the head, peel from the legs up. Head-off: peel and go. Lick your fingers. Nobody's watching.
Dungeness
Lift the back shell off from the rear. Break the body in half, then crack each leg. Ask your server — they'll show you once.
