Now this isn’t a hack at Parrain’s; it’s menued there as a half and half, tails and étouffée platter, but you can get one anywhere that has both fried crawfish tails and crawfish étouffée just by asking. I know a lot of places say no substitutions please! all over their menus, but if you have the urge for something you don’t see, it doesn’t hurt to ask. Sometimes you will be blown off because it’s busy, but weeknights and weekday lunches you should be able to get what you want. One thing I’ve never seen on a menu anywhere in BR is a small crawfish étouffée paired with six fried shrimp. And that is one of my favorite meals. You see fried catfish topped with étouffée at a lot of different places, but even if you don’t, you can ask for a large étouffée , add two catfish fillets please. Worth a shot. Same thing holds if you want to juice up your seafood gumbo by adding a few fried oysters to it. And you can always come up with a combo meal of your own by ordering a cup of soup and an appetizer and ask that they come to the table at the same time like, I’d like a cup of your seafood gumbo and an order of crabfingers please, and could you put them on the same plate? Thanks. Same thing with kids meals like a kid’s shrimp or catfish. Add a soup or salad or appetizer to it and they will waive the only kids under 12 restriction. And don’t be afraid to get creative and ask for something no one has ever ordered before. I got a lot of funny looks at the Chimes when I asked for fried alligator with rice and gravy, but they complied and it looked and tasted great. So go for it. All they can do is say no, and if they do, it’s not like you ever have to go back to that place again.