A Berl for McNulty; Look Out, T-Fitz Wants to Slice You

Ian McNulty finds amazing "boiled seafood, creative po-boys, seafood pastas" and an enchanting oyster shucker at little known Harahan restaurant Seither's Seafood this week. Seither's used to be a retail market, but was converted into a small oyster bar by owner Jason Seither and his pal Shannon "Bird" Cronin, much to McNulty's liking, despite the cramped dining area with a beachy vibe: "It still doesn't get too fancy. Families gather and buddies hoist beer pitchers around tightly packed tables."

While McNulty says the soft-shell crabs are a strong point in season, sometimes the "shrimp give a sandy bite from not being deveined." But ain't nobody got time for that with crawfish season here:

The beating heart of Seither's is the boiling pot... boiled crawfish, shrimp and crabs more closely resemble a backyard boil than your standard restaurant or bar boil. The spice level isn't high; it tastes more complex than just salt and cayenne. An array of boiled vegetables... all are standard. It shows that even as Seither's branches out, this kitchen still knows how to bring it all back home.

Yes, indeed. Seither's Seafood is located at 279 Hickory Avenue in Harahan. Their phone number is (504) 738-1116. [Gambit]

T-Fitz tattoos THREE WHOLE STARS on the neck of Slice Pizzeria this week, before transforming into that old curmudgeon Tyrannothesaurus Rex with -2 for dining environment at the LGD location: "The shabbiness may be a bit much for some fastidious people." He doesn't note the music selection, which must mean they turned off the GZA when T-Fitz walked in. Or perhaps he's fully embracing the +1 for hipness now, because Tommy Boy even throws shade at other NOLA pizzerias that have become popular in the past few years, saying "the presence of a wood-burning stone oven got so much respect that one wondered whether genuflection was required."

Slice, T-Fitz reminds us, is the original daddymac of quality pizza in New Orleans, "already matching or exceeding the best pizza around town" while the wood fire oven bonanza was going on. "They have thin-crust pizzas in the New York style with an array of excellent toppings. The kitchen also makes a surprisingly large list of daily specials, sandwiches and appetizers." T-Fitz urges you to "settle in the rear" for a glass of wine when it gets busy (there's a back bar), because it's worth the wait. [CityBusiness, sub req]

· Review: Seither's Seafood [Gambit]
· Slice Has Raised the Pizza Standard in NOLA [CityBusiness, sub req.]
· All Week In Reviews