"One of the great things about being in the South is the indulgence in the Louisiana crawish boil. One of the great things about being in southern Caifornia, is that every May for the last three years, Dominick’s own Executive Chef Brandon Boudet of New Orleans has been bringing the southern mud bugs to the west coast along with other delectable and savory southern dishes. Served alongside their already popular Brunch menu every Saturday in the month of May, Chef Boudet offers a special “CRAWFISH BOIL” menu which extends to its patrons such southern favorites as Boiled Crawfish By the Pound, a Roast Beef Po’Boy, Fresh Oysters On the Half Shell, and Snoballs among other traditional beloved specialties. If you’re from the South, or have friends that are, you probably have had a chance to experience those little garnet-hued critters at one point or another called crawfish. In fact, there are several names for these creatures that resemble tiny lobsters, to which, in fact, they are related. You’ll hear northerners call them “crayfish”, the central and southwest regions like to call them “crawdads”, while further south you’ll hear the more common term “crawfish”. There are also many more without clarified geographic origin such as “crays”, “mud puppies”, “ecrevisse” (French), “yabbies”, “bugs” and even “grave diggers”. (Yikes)! Though the numerous titles for these smooth-textured, ruby-colored clawed crustaceans, the namesakes do, at times, tend to overlap geographically. To make matters even more interesting, did you know that there are over 330 species of crawfish in southeast North America, over 100 classes of them in Australia and over 107 varieties of them in Europe? Mostly found in unpolluted bodies of water, these little critters seem to be everywhere! But we’ll focus on the ones Chef Boudet prepares at Dominick’s for the purpose of this blog. (I sometimes can get carried away with my research)! Chef Brandon prepares around 300 pounds of crawfish on the Dominick’s patio each Saturday in May. Offered with corn, potatoes and amazing Cajun ingredients and spices, they don’t last long once they’re prepped to serve diners awaiting this meridional favorite. Along with the per-pound portions of crawfish for $10.99, the Roast beef Po’Boy for $8 is a delicious bargain. $12 gets you a half dozen fresh Oysters On the Half Shell, which are quite refreshing in the warm summer weather. In addition to these delectable bites, Chef boudet provides Maui Onion Rings for $12, and his crawfish Boil Artichoke with a Creole Remoulade. Don’t forget dessert, because there are Snoballs on the menu as well! At $3.25 per serving, you can indulge in coconut, blueberry, raspberry and chocolate flavors. For an additional $9, you can “kick it up a notch” by adding a shot of Old New Orleans Spiced Rum! Or you can go the brew route and have a cold Abita Amber Draft. Your choice. Have one or have them all. Your excuse is that it’s Crawfish Season at Dominick’s! If you’ve never been to Dominick’s, we recommend the patio dining option. There are booths inside the collegiate-feeling bar area when you first walk in, so you can choose that as well, but the outdoor patio reserves a charm all its own. A red brick fireplace oversees clientele as servers care for their patrons’ requests. A chalk-written menu with the day’s specials sits atop the mantle tempting guests with daily offerings from the kitchen. The outdoor area allows for central table seating, tandem selections and larger settings are available upon request. We really loved the signature Hurricanes on the menu and the souvenier “Dominick’s Crawfish Boil 2012” cups they were served in… The plate of fresh oysters was an appropriate and scrumptious starter… The spring crawfish season typically lasts from March through June when they are the best for harvesting. Above, these boiled crawfish with red potatoes and the perfect seasoning came out next… The Roast Beef Po’Boy sandwhich was a hit…tender sliced roast beef, tomato, lettuce and an incredibly juicy flavorful au jus… Coconut snoball (the shots of rum disappeared before I could snap a photo), sorry! We enjoyed Dominick’s Crawfish Boil this year. If you didn’t get the chance to attend this year’s southern cuisined menu by Chef Boudet, make a note of it for next year as a “must do” for a Saturday in the month of May. We’ll see what happens next year on the patio! ESTABLISHMENT DECOR: The photos of the restaurant above show the cozy, open air feel of the patio dining room at Dominick’s. We really enjoyed the fresh air, the natural decor, and the entire feel of the space reminded us of a courtyard in Old New Orleans. FOOD DRINK: The offerings were freshly made, savory and flawlessly executed the flavor of Louisiana cuisine. LOCATION:Dominick’s is situated at 8715 Beverly Boulevard in West Hollywood, CA 90048. HOURS:Open at 6PM 7 days a week for dinner, and Saturday and Sunday from 10AM to 3PM for Brunch. SERVICE STAFF: The staff at Dominick’s was well-prepared, courteous and willing to accommodate most requests when approached. PRICE VALUE: Great value for the cost for Brunch at Dominick’s. We weren’t disappointed by the prices on the menu. CORKAGE FEE: Dominick’s corkage fee is $15, however, there is a full bar upon entering the restaurant. CONTACT INFO: Phone: 310) 652-2335, Website: [hidden link] PARKING: Valet parking is available behind the restaurant on North Sherbourne Drive as well as metered street parking. TOTAL BILL: Our final bill for two pounds of boiled crawfish, two Po’Boy sandwiches, 1 order of raw oysters, two Hurricanes, one snoball and two shots of Old New Orleans Spices Rum was about $77.99. Over our SavorHour $50 (including tax) goal, but definitely worth plurging on!"
