Mr. Shrimp’s Kitchen Wins Finest Crawfish Boil at Pepsi’s Inaugural Tremendous Bowl Boil

“You’re not from round right here, are you?” That’s been the response of quite a lot of locals as I fumbled my method by way of my first crawfish boil in New Orleans — proper earlier than they kindly stepped in to exhibit the way to crack the crustacean and suck out the meat. Right here, folks develop up gathering round seafood boils, feeling proper at residence with the bibs, moist wipes, and paper towels that this beloved custom requires.

That communal spirit made Pepsi’s inaugural Tremendous Bowl Boil such a success at Woldenberg Park on Friday. The soda model invited the general public to vote on-line for his or her favourite amongst eight New Orleans seafood boil eating places — Crawlins Seafood, Dee’s Xquisite Seafood, Dry Dock Café, Melba’s Po Boys, Mr. Shrimp’s Kitchen, Peewee’s Crabcakes, Pra_LEES, and Williams Seafood & Po Boy — beginning January 13, with the highest two contenders advancing to the reside cook-off.

The finalists, Crawlins Seafood (from the suburb of Terrytown) and Mr. Shrimp’s Kitchen, boiled tons of of crawfish, corn cobs, and potatoes, piling them excessive on plates that disappeared sooner than the groups might serve them. From 12 p.m. to 2 p.m., the waterfront park buzzed with reside jazz whereas enthusiastic attendees cracked crawfish, nibbled corn on the cob, danced, and voted by dropping tokens into poll bins.

Onstage, 4 star judges sampled the seafood as the gang chanted, “Suck the pinnacle!” The panel included Jacksonville Jaguars vast receiver Brian Thomas Jr., former Tremendous Bowl champion Andrew Whitworth, and chef Damaris Lennon Phillips, winner of “Meals Community Star” season 9.

“Being from Louisiana, all of us come collectively over seafood. Seeing what good meals and drinks can do for the neighborhood, it’s been so nice to be part of,” stated Thomas Jr., a former LSU athlete.

Crawlins cofounder Jimmy Nguyen served a Viet-Cajun-style boil touting the garlic-parmesan corn and potatoes alongside crawfish and shrimp. In the meantime, Mr. Shrimp’s founder, Larry G. Thompson, Jr., went for a Creole-style boil, emphasizing that “You need to have that taste contained in the seafood; it can’t be on high.” Each makers, who grew up going to seafood boils, remodeled their very own traditions into acclaimed restaurant ideas — referencing love as a key part.

Finally, Mr. Shrimp’s took residence the trophy and a money prize of $10,000, with Phillips declaring the flavour so irresistible she was licking it off her fingers — an ideal reminder to open that moist wipe packet earlier than digging into your subsequent crawfish boil.