ST. MARTIN PARISH — Ash Wednesday marked the start of Lent, and in Breaux Bridge, that meant seafood took center stage. Inside local restaurant, Crazy Bout Crawfish, steam filled the kitchen as crawfish boiled and plates moved quickly from the counter to waiting customers.
Owner Megan Buckner said Mardi Gras and the beginning of Lent marks one of the busiest stretches of the year for her restaurant.
“Mardi treats us very well. We are super busy. We have travelers all over the world, we have locals going to the parade, their family coming in,” Buckner said.
That included Chris Wetzel and Jason Jagoda, who traveled from Texas to Louisiana for Mardi Gras and decided to enjoy lunch in Breaux Bridge as Lent began.
“I don’t really participate, but anytime I’m out here, I go for some crawfish,” Wetzel said, referring to Lent. Jagoda said he approaches the season a little differently, “I always try to give something up for Lent. Meat is usually not one of them,” he said.
For other customers, seafood is not just a seasonal tradition but a year-round staple.
“We’re not really meat people but we eat shrimp, crawfish and crab,” said Rachel Peltier.
Buckner said Ash Wednesday signals a major shift in focus for her team as they prepare for the weeks leading up to Easter.
“Fat Tuesday, Ash Wednesday, we’re very busy. This is where we focus on supply and demand. This is the big week and weekend for us. First Friday of Lent is coming up so from here on out until Easter, we’re expecting a big crowd to come in and out,” Buckner said.
She added that all of the seafood served at the restaurant is sourced locally. Buckner said she has remained in constant communication with local farmers to ensure they can keep up with demand throughout the season. Recent stretches of good weather have also helped, especially when it comes to crawfish supply.
“For right now, the bigger ones are starting to come out. Size is good, weather is good, so we really are expecting a good year,” Buckner said.
