A LA CARTE : SOFT-SHELL CRAB STILL IN SEASON.Byline: Larry Lipson Well, hurrah, hurrah, the soft-shell crab fanciers are saying right now. Thanks to El Nino, those fresh delicacies are having a longer season than usual and are still turning up on menus around town. Available to restaurants in four sizes, they range from small to huge with the most diminutive ones termed ``hotel'' size, the next up called ``hotel prime,'' and the second-largest titled ``prime.'' The biggest soft-shell crabs receive the designation ``jumbo.'' And if you've enjoyed soft-shell crabs all year 'round somewhere, it's because they're sold to restaurants frozen both in and out of season. But the fresh ones are always the best, and luckily there are still some within palate reach. Here are a few restaurants with soft-shell crab dishes worth consideration: Beach House Cafe Address: 100 W. Channel Road, Santa Monica Santa Monica (săn`tə mŏn`ĭkə), city (1990 pop. 86,905), Los Angeles co., S Calif., on Santa Monica Bay; inc. 1886. Tourism and retailing are important, and the city has motion-picture, biotechnology, and software industries. . Phone: (310) 454-8299. Cuisine: New American. Comments: One of this summer's big new hits of the local restaurant scene, the kitchen is supervised by consulting chef Josie Le Balch with capable assistant David Fouts as her hands-on backup. Former La Cachette partner Liza Utter is the owner. Description: Larger-size soft-shell crabs are sauteed and served on a celery root salad with red and yellow pear tomatoes, bitter mizuna mi·zu·na n. An edible plant (Brassica rapa var. nipposinica) in the mustard family, having dark green, glossy, feathery leaves and white stems. greens and a spicy beurre blanc beurre blanc n. A sauce made with butter, shallots, and vinegar, white wine, or lemon juice. [French : beurre, butter + blanc, white, not browned.] sauce. Price: Appetizer size is $12, entree size $21. Delmonico's Seafood Grille Address: 16358 Ventura Blvd., Encino. Phone: (818) 986-0777. Cuisine: Seafood. Comments: No longer connected to the Delmonico's on the West side, this highly visible restaurant continues successfully under the direction of chef-owner Tony De La Cruz de la Cruz is a common surname in the Spanish language meaning 'of The Cross.'
Description: Chef De La Cruz pan-sautees jumbos, then serves them on a bed of mashed potatoes n. pl. 1. Potatoes which have been boiled and mashed to a pulpy consistency, usu. with sparing addition of milk, salt, butter, or other flavoring. It is a popular accompaniment to a meat course [U.S., 1900's], providing bulk and calories to a meal. either with a lime-chive or a lemon-garlic sauce. Most of the time they're accompanied by spinach. However, this consumer-friendly kitchen will happily deliver them Cajun-style or any way within reason. Price: As an appetizer $8.95, as an entree $17.95. Fins Creekside/Fins Bambu Address: Creekside: 23504 Calabasas Road, Calabasas; Bambu: 3835 Cross Creek Road, Malibu. Phone: Calabasas: (818) 223-3467, Malibu: (310) 456-5464. Cuisine: Seafood. Comments: Nicely cooked and presented seafood is served in an engaging atmosphere at both restaurants. Signature dish is a memorable macadamia macadamia (măk'ədā`mēə), name for the nut of the Macadamia ternifolia, an evergreen tree native to Australia, but cultivated in Hawaii. The nuts, also called Queensland nuts, are eaten roasted or raw. nut-crusted halibut halibut: see flatfish. halibut Any of various flatfishes, especially the Atlantic and Pacific halibuts (genus Hippoglossus, family Pleuronectidae), both of which have eyes and colour on the right side. recipe. Description: Crab is deep-fried and served with a sweet-and-sour or Asian-style mustard sauce as an appetizer at both restaurants. At Malibu it's also done sushi-roll style. Price: As regular appetizer $10.95, as sushi-roll $9.50. Ocean Avenue Seafood Address: 1401 Ocean Ave., Santa Monica. Phone: (310) 394-5669. Cuisine: Seafood. Comments: This ocean-view restaurant is a great place to enjoy oysters at the oyster bar and sip sauvignon blanc or champagne with them or consume a full, satisfying seafood meal of high quality. Description: Two prime size soft-shell crabs are sauteed in brown butter sauce and accompanied by rice pilaf and seasonal vegetables . Price: $21.95. Sid's Seafood House Address: 21911 Roscoe Blvd., Canoga Park. Phone: (818) 887-1692. Cuisine: Seafood. Comments: At this surprising seafood outpost, look for numerous oceanfare rarities in addition to soft-shell crab in season. Walleye walleye, in medicine walleye: see strabismus. walleye, in zoology walleye or walleyed pike: see perch. pike, New England haddock, Ipswich clams, grouper grouper, common name for a large carnivorous member of the family Serranidae (sea bass family), abundant in tropical and subtropical seas and highly valued as food fish. and Atlantic striped bass striped bass moronesaxatilis. are some of the other seasonal favorites. Description: Sid's kitchen lightly sautees two prime-size soft-shell crabs with garlic and serves them with a choice of new potatoes or saffron rice and a vegetable du jour as an entree dish with soup or salad. Price: $23.95. Water Grill Address: 523 W. Sixth St., Los Angeles. (Entrance on Grand Avenue.) Phone: (213) 891-0900. Cuisine: Seafood. Comments: Thought by many to be the city's top seafood house, here's a clubby club·by adj. club·bi·er, club·bi·est 1. Typical of a club or club members. 2. Friendly; sociable. 3. Clannish; exclusive. , classy dining place that draws the elite of the downtown financial, legal and political crowd. Description: Currently, the fresh Maryland soft-shell crab entree here comes with a potato galette Galette is a general term used in French to designate different types of round and flat crusty cakes. One noticeable type is the galette des rois (King cake) eaten on the day of Epiphany. and a lemon-caper brown-butter sauce. Price: $25. The Wave Address: 16925 Ventura Blvd., Encino. Phone: (818) 905-6595. Cuisine: Seafood. Comments: This is the Valley's newest seafood spot. It's on the former Trilussa site and owned by longtime L.A.-area restaurateur res·tau·ra·teur also res·tau·ran·teur n. The manager or owner of a restaurant. [French, from restaurer, to restore; see restaurant. Giuseppe Bellisario. Description: Softshell crabs as a special dinner item are cooked provencal-style, sauteed in lemon and butter with Italian parsley and garlic, accompanied by rice or potato and steamed fresh vegetables. Price: $18.50. |
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