We had a very nice soft shell appetizer at Embeya last weekend. New LTH fave Rainbow Thai has a tasty soft shell crab curry, and while I didn't ask, given that it does not appear to be a seasonal special, I suspect they use frozen crabs, as do most sushi spots.

Might be worth giving Glenn's Diner a call.

Rainbow Cuisine will serve a couple of soft-shell crabs under a red curry sauce...i.e., on a plate rather than in a bowl of curry (sorry, no pix.)

--Matt

Rainbow Cuisine
4825 N Western Ave
(773) 754-7660

Although it is sort of a dive with surly service, I have always thought the Half Shell did a good job with soft shelled crabs. Nothing special, just battered and fried and served in a basket, simple but tasty.

BTW, I think they still only accept cash.

676 W. Diversey Pkwy
Chicago, IL 60614
773-549-1773

d4v3 wrote:Although it is sort of a dive with surly service, I have always thought the Half Shell did a good job with soft shelled crabs. Nothing special, just battered and fried and served in a basket, simple but tasty.

BTW, I think they still only accept cash.

676 W. Diversey Pkwy
Chicago, IL 60614
773-549-1773

Yes, still cash only. Plus no tank tops and no hats for men. I actually believe the service is very efficient, and the bartender tonight was pleasantly engaging. One of my favorite parts is watching the staff set limits when post-game Cubs' fans think they're joking when told to remove their caps. Went there tonight and had a decent lake perch basket, the first time I tried something other than the well-seasoned and substantial king crab legs.

West Town Tavern has a Maryland soft shell crab as an appetizer special through 7/18. Since it is a special, be sure to call, though.

By the way, their Fried Chicken special on Mondays is a terrific bargain and a must if you like a hard crispy crust.

1329 W Chicago Ave Chicago, IL 60642
(312) 666-6175

I love soft shells and was wondering if anyone has any leads on restaurants in Chicago serving a good preparation now?

We just had some outstanding soft shells at yesterday's lunch at GNR Boston Fish Market. viewtopic.php?f=19&t=40121

I believe GT Fish & Oyster has them.

Had a bahn mi at Allium today with a soft shell crab. Pretty tasty, but not enough spice with jalapenos or Sriracha.

Big and Little's has a soft shell crab sandwich that is awesome

marothisu wrote:Big and Little's has a soft shell crab sandwich that is awesome

Example of big and little' soft shell crab sandwich:

pacent wrote:

marothisu wrote:Big and Little's has a soft shell crab sandwich that is awesome

Example of big and little' soft shell crab sandwich:

That crab is a thing of beauty. The twice-fried coating certainly does look awesome. What is the orange sauce?

The orange sauce is some sort of an aioli. I can't remember what the flavoring was, but it was good. If anything, the breading on the B & L soft shell sandwich is a bit heavy for my taste (I prefer a quick sauté in a simple flour dredge), but that minor quibble is just that, a minor quibble about an otherwise delicious sandwich.

Here's another view.

stevez wrote:We just had some outstanding soft shells at yesterday's lunch at GNR Boston Fish Market. viewtopic.php?f=19&t=40121

I'l second this. Last year I thought they sauced their soft shells too heavily, it made them soggy and defeated the reason for sautéing them to crispy. On Tuesday they had just the right amount of sauce to compliment rather than drown them. Also, they were packed out the door, clearly word is out on Boston Seafood.

My wife enjoyed soft shell crab last week at Shaw's (in the Blue Crab Lounge where she was partaking of the 1/2 price oyster "Happy Hour" though I'm sure the crabs are available in main dining room as well).

Lula Cafe, featured it yesterday with an egg. It looked decadent.

Piccolo Sogno Due also has a sautee preparation as a special, although I wasn't wowed by it.

In case you'd like to make them at home, the ones at Eataly are so beautiful, fresh and meaty. And they're so damn easy and quick to cook at home. I rinsed, patted dry, dusted in lightly seasoned flour and cornmeal mixture, sauteed in olive oil and butter for about 2 minutes per side, then finished with some arugula, parsley, oregano and lemon. Perfect and simple.

The newsletter from Restaurant Michael in Winnetka has been featuring soft-shelled crabs for a couple of weeks now.

Paramount had it on the specials board yesterday. I had the octopus instead tho.

Soft shell crab was on the menu as an appetizer selection last night when we dined at Perennial Virant, 1800 North Lincoln Avenue. The tempura batter was light and crispy, perfect, really. Accompanied by their seasonal ingredients sauces and garnishes, it was a highlight of my meal.

BR wrote:I rinsed, patted dry, dusted in lightly seasoned flour and cornmeal mixture, sauteed in olive oil and butter for about 2 minutes per side, then finished with some arugula, parsley, oregano and lemon. Perfect and simple.

BR,

Liked the sound of arugula/parsley/oregano so I veered from my usual recipe, actually Revrend Andy's recipe --> link, and followed in your footsteps. Used a simple lemon oil* as dressing. Quite tasty, thanks for the inspiration.

BR Soft Shell


*puree 1 washed lemon quartered, 1/2 cup olive oil, salt/pepper and one clove of garlic. Strain and serve.

Note:
Bought soft shells at Boston Fish Market, $5 per for primes, plump and fresh. BFM did not clean them, not a problem, I prefer to clean them myself.

Beautiful Gary! And glad to inspire ideas & hunger. In my case, I sauteed the arugula, but with my love of arugula I could add it cooked, raw, incorporated in butter, etc.

And when buying live soft shells, yes on cleaning at home where possible - easy & quick. Here's a great guide from Seriouseats.com to help.

Are they still in season? Had a last minute request from a friend to go out for some - anybody have any ideas where? Looking for northside if possible.

knitgirl wrote:Are they still in season? Had a last minute request from a friend to go out for some - anybody have any ideas where? Looking for northside if possible.

Still in season, but near the end . . . not sure who's still serving them though.

Alinea has an amazing soft shell crab dish now.

Sabatino's had them as their special last Friday (8/15). You might want to give them a call and check availability this week.

I had a good curry dish with soft shell crab at Pho 55 in Hyde Park about a week and a half ago.

Wasabi has a great version for 9 bucks: "Deep fried soft shell crab, greens, house ponzu, chive, lemon" To be clear, this is the app, not the spider roll.