Really? And I've never seen them served cold. Although I am not surprised that some people do it that way, like king crab at a brunch buffet. Cold crustacean is not my cup of tea, however.

From the boat to the pot to the stomach...washed down with copious quantities of beer. A wonderful way to spend an afternoon.

I'm still around, but no more business travel. Only 2 DL trips this year; FCO in June & LAX in August. Life is good in East Tennessee. Gimme a shout if you're ever up this way.

Quite sure. I ate them here: http://riversideresortsbanquet.com/R...CrabHouse.html

Yes. On the small side, though - 8 to the pound.

I was offered the claws hot or cold. I didn't hear what the dip was if ordered cold. The mustard maybe?

That's pretty strange. I've NEVER been offered them hot.

Find another place and try them again-this time in the cold form. I think you'll change your perception of this great seafood.

I haven't either. A restaurant who would offer these hot has no clue how to serve stone crab IMO.

They probably also have hot sushi on their menu as well.

Thanks all sounds like it will be definetly something to add to the menu!!!

Will check out Joe's next time I am in Chicago.

X

Totally agree with this assessment. I love getting them at little joints along the Keys.

Hey, don't we all.

But most of us either don't live in or around the Keys nor visit there on a regular basis.

Joe's in Las Vegas, Miami and Chicago are all a lot more accessible for the vast majority of FT'ers.

That goes without saying, right?

My point was that, when in Miami, folks shouldn't only think of Joe's for stone crabs. There are better, cheaper places in that area.

Having long ago participated in "harvesting" stone crab claws, and years later paid too much for them at Joe's in Miami, the "big name" place which popularized them to almost "cult" status, I've since chracterized them as "Rich Man's Rock Shrimp", an altogether too little appreciated treat from the sea, rarely seen on menus.

If they weren't so messy and so much trouble to eat the old "Barbecued' (read Cajun seasoned and deep fried) blue crab found at backroad places like Satain's in Sabine Pass have similar appeal, but remain in almost cult status like the "Chili Crab" of Singapore and Malaysia, little known beyond the small segment of diners exposed to their excellence.

For me, the "Good Old Days" on the Gulf Coast came with a package of chicken backs left out overnight to age to aromatic state, a piece of twine, and a dip net, a sport at which even my non-angler kid sisters could master and help fill a pot. A mess of boiled crabs, some newspaper, cases of cold beer, and time, lots of time, made for a liesurely beach dinner and good conversation while cracking and picking.

for those looking to offset the cost of a trip to Joe's in Chicago or LV, see: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/15066609-post33.html

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My wife and I are huge fans of Stone Crab claws and typically eat them 5 or 6 times when they are in season. I've been to Joe's in Vegas which is great, however for those in the South, Trulucks in Dallas has great Stone Crab claws (along with that mustard sauce that goes with it).

I'd forgotten about Truluck's. I think they occasionally run an "All The Stone Crab You Can Eat For $X" special. Or at least they used to.

Here are Truluck's current locations:



* Addison, TX
* Austin, TX - Arboretum
* Austin, TX - Downtown
* Dallas, TX
* Houston, TX
* Southlake, TX
* Boca Raton, FL
* Naples, FL
* Ft. Lauderdale, FL
* La Jolla, CA

The best options for getting stone crabs are:

1) find an all-u-can-eat special (during season). Expensive, but worth it if you're hungry and love stone crab. The drawback - most AYCE specials are medium claws or smaller, so more work

2) find a local fish market that's carrying them - or even Whole Foods is cheaper than most restaurants. Take them home, wrap the uncracked claws in a towel, and gentle tap away with a good size hammer until the shell cracks and you can remove it

3) Avoid overpriced tourist traps like Joe's - you'll pay more than if you bought your own and enjoyed them at home, and you'll lose the opportunity to mix-match sizes or select specific claws

If you eat them at home, be careful with the shells - the fragments can be as sharp as cut glass and it's very easy to cut yourself badly trying to remove the pieces of they're not loose

I've never had a stone crab...never been much of a shellfish person, though I do love fish and sushi.

I may have to make a trip to Joe's in Chicago tomorrow for lunch, if the plumber comes early enough...