This is a post by N&O restaurant critic Greg Cox:
Charles Tirada, owner of Asian restaurants ShabaShabu and Sushi Blues, is dipping his toe into a new concept with the opening of The Saucy Crab (4020 Durham-Chapel Hill Blvd.; 919-237-1935; thesaucycrab.com) in Durham.
Or, to be precise, a new twist on an old concept. Inspired by the traditional crab boils of the mid-Atlantic and Gulf coasts, the restaurant's house specialty features shellfish steamed with corn and potatoes and tossed in your choice of four sauces.
You can keep it traditional with Louisiana crawfish tossed in a Cajun sauce or Carolina blue crab sprinkled with Old Bay. Or get creative and try, say, shrimp (EZ-Peel or whole, head-on) in a pineapple teriyaki sauce. The menu also offers fried seafood baskets, served with your choice of hand-cut fries or sweet potato fries and slaw. Key lime pie and other desserts are baked in house.
Tirada, who formerly went by the name Charles Meteesatien, has given the building that previously housed Fish House (which he also owned) a complete makeover, replacing neon-accented contemporary Asian with a rustic crab shack style complete with butcher paper on the tables.
Billed as "Durham's only backyard seafood joint," The Saucy Crab is open Monday-Friday from 4-10 p.m., Saturday-Sunday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Send restaurant news to Greg at ggcox@bellsouth.net. Be sure to tune in to Greg's radio show at 11 a.m. Saturdays on WPTF.
