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Crabmeat & shrimp Maison

What: Lump crabmeat (and/or shrimp) is lightly dressed with mayonnaise, capers, green onion, and lemon, then served at room temperature.

Where: In the French Quarter, Galatoire’s (209 Bourbon St., map), one of the city’s institutional old-line restaurants, made this dish famous. The crabmeat version is tastier than the shrimp, simply because the toothsome backfin meat is so delicious.

When: Tues-Sat, 11:30am-10pm; Sun, noon-10pm. Go at lunch for a more casual experience; the restaurant’s especially famous for its long and boozy Friday lunches.

Order: You can order the crabmeat Maison ($13.50) alone as an appetizer, but if you want to try more things, get the Galatoire Gouté ($20), which includes a portion of both Maisons plus shrimp rémoulade.

Good to know: The downstairs room is first-come-first-served and generally sees the most action—it’s worthwhile to sit there because a huge reason to come here is for the experience. For a more formal atmosphere, or if you can’t risk having to wait for a table, reserve upstairs. In either room, jackets are required for men during dinner hours and on Sundays.

Alternatively: You’ll see maisons pop up at various French-style brasseries around town. One of the better ones is Chef John Besh’s Lüke (333 St. Charles Ave., map), in the CBD, which offers crabmeat maison on its (housemade) charcuterie menu.