QUEENS — A Rego Park seafood restaurant is bringing a little taste of the South to New York.
The renowned London Lennie’s is organizing its first Crawfest — a festival of Cajun crawfish — bringing a Louisiana-style menu to the neighborhood.
Crawfish, which resemble small lobsters, are very popular in Louisiana, as well as among Asian communities, said Marcelle Lashley, the restaurant’s marketing director.
From April 8 to 19, the restaurant will have a Cajun-style menu in addition to its regular menu.
“We’ll have gumbo, jambalaya, crawfish etouffee, pecan crusted catfish and grilled oysters,” Lashley said. “But the big kicker is that we [are] gonna have a Louisiana-style crawfish boil,” with crawfish, potatoes, corn and sausage.
“The atmosphere here will also be different,” Lashley said.
Because it’s not easy to eat crawfish, patrons will be given instructions on how to do it, she said.
“You pinch the tail, and then you rip the head from the tail and you suck the head because that’s where all the meat is,” Lashley explained.
The restaurant is hoping to bring more variety to its ever-changing menu. But it also caters to its customers, who are nostalgic about crawfish, including many people who moved to New York after Hurricane Katrina.
During the festival, crawfish will be shipped overnight every day from New Orleans, Lashley said.
The restaurant is known for its annual food festivals, including Oysterfest and Crabfest.
London Lennie's is located at 63-88 Woodhaven Blvd. in Rego Park.
