Arts & Crabs Fest

After my long run yesterday morning, I went to my parents to collect a few more of my things.  I found this little treasure in the fridge.

Spinach, boiled shrimp, white beans, boiled eggs, & green onions.  Which led to this text to my mother.

Then, I ransacked the rest of their house.  I left with a bag of pecans, a jar of pepper jelly my mom made this week, the latest Southern Living, and my mail.

I read the magazine poolside with the brownie.

Arts & Humanities Council of Southwest Louisiana hosted the 2nd Annual Arts & Crabs Fest yesterday at the Lake Charles Civic Center.

                                           
Local artist displayed their work, local musicians played, and 10 local restaurants prepared crab dishes.  Each dish was paired with an Abita beer.  Wristbands for the tasting were $25 each and all the proceeds went to the Arts & Humanities Council.  They had me at crabs & beer. 

It was an authentic display of what Southwest Louisiana has to offer.  Great music, great art, & great food!

The tastings were as follows:
Big Daddy's: Crab Etoufee & Abita Turbodog
Lake Charles Country Club: Mini Crab Cakes & Abita S.O.S.
Sha Sha's of Creole: Crab Stuffed Jalepenos & Abita Amber
Cajun Cafe: Crab Stuffed Mushrooms & Abita Mardi Gras Bock
Steamboat Bills: Crabmeat Au Gratin & Abita Andygator
Cypress Grill/Graywood: Gazpacho & Abita Abby Ale
121 Bisto: Mona Lisa Pasta & Abita Golden
Harlequin: Crab Cevice & Abita Restoration Ale
Coyote Blues: Crabmeat Poblao Bisque & Abita Jockamo IPA
Pujo St. Cafe: Crab & Avocado Salad & Abita Wheat

My favorites were: Pujo's Crab & Avocado salad, it was so refreshing and light; 121 Bistro's Mona Lisa Pasta, there was not only crab in it but also shrimp; and the LC Country Club's crab cake, I am a sucker for a crabcake and this one did not disappoint.  It was mostly crab, with little filler and had a light crispy crust.

Least favorites: Big Daddy's etoufee and Cypress Grills Gazpacho.  Crab has a naturally sweet flavor, but both of these dishes were too sweet for me.

While I have tried most of these beers, the S.O.S., Golden, and Mardi Gras Bock were new to me. I liked the S.O.S., LOVED the Golden, and hated the Mardi Gras Bock.  The after taste was strong and bitter. 

Unfortunately, I forgot to take any pictures at the event.  I wore my new dress I made with my thrifted material and an old tank top.  I did snap some pics after I made it, but decided later to hem it above the knee.

Pre-hemming.

Its much more flattering with a belt.

After the event, we met some friends for drinks and dancing. 

My camera got passed around and I ended up with 60 pictures!  Most are very fuzzy, dark, or inappropriate.

It was a late night.