'Suck da head'

OK, that title should've gotten your attention. It's a New Orleans-type expression that applies to eating crawfish. You know, with Mardi Gras coming up soon and all ...

Speaking of crawfish, if you're a fan of the small, freshwater crustaceans (we used to catch 'em in the creek and call 'em "crayfish"), and you don't make it down to N'Awlins very often, there's a festival that's just for you. Although you still have to make the drive to Jersey ...


In 2000, I attended Michael Arnone's Crawfish Festival in Sussex County, N.J. That's about midway between the Poconos and New Jack City, in a scenic mountainous area of Jersey that most folks don't know exists. I went with some friends primarily to see a New Orleans ensemble called the Radiators - "best band in the land," it's been said about them - and also sampled quite a bit of the Cajun-laced cuisine on hand. (The Rads, BTW, do a song called "Suck Da Head." They, of course, played it in '00.)

So this year's Crawfish Festival, the 19th annual, is the weekend after Memorial Day, May 30 through June 1. There's plenty of room for camping if you're a Western Pennsylvanian who wants to make the pilgrimage and rough it for a few days. Along with the Radiators, some of the close to two dozen acts scheduled to perform include the legendary Allen Toussaint (check out his album with Elvis Costello, "The River in Reverse"), the Funky Meters (big hit with "Cissy Strut"), Tab Benoit, Donna the Buffalo, Guitar Shorty, Mitch Woods and the Rocket '88s, and Rosie Ledet & the Zydeco Playboys.

If you're planning to stick around Western PA that weekend ... well, you're not going to find quality crawfish anywhere around here.