Cajun Cowboys to Host U.S.O. Benefit This Saturday

Posted by The Editorial Desk / Tuesday, August 25th, 2009

When you think of cowboy cuisine it is most probably a Fred Flintstone-sized steak with a side of roasted potatoes served by a chef named “Cookie” wielding a rusty ladle.

But if the cowboys in question are Zac and Matt Culbertson of Arlington’s Cowboy Café, they’re more likely to be wrangling crawfish than steer.

On Saturday, Aug. 29, the brothers will host a crawfish boil at the Cowboy Café to benefit the Metropolitan Washington U.S.O. The cost is $25 and includes all the crawfish you care to wrastle with, sides of corn and sausage, as well as drink specials such as $2 Yeunglings. The benefit begins at 5:00 p.m.

Though they are self-described military brats who have logged their share of miles overseas, the signature plates cultivated by the brothers Culbertson are as much homage to American comfort food as they are to family gatherings in New Orleans where Cajun cooking was the mainstay of childhood memories.

“We’ve been doing crawfish boils my whole life,” says Zac who spent many a summer with family in the Big Easy. “The last crawfish boil we did [the memories] all just came flying back. It’s a lot of fun when you’re a kid. And the crawfish are delicious.”

Being a military family as well as having roots in New Orleans means the strong relationship the Culbertsons have with the U.S.O. is as natural as their relationship to Cajun cooking. According to Zac, the crawfish boil was a natural fit as a theme for the benefit of the Metropolitan Washington chapter of the organization, and he expects many veterans to attend the event.

In addition to growing up in a military family, both Zac and Matt had stints in the armed forces (their younger brother Joseph is also currently serving in Afghanistan) and had positive first-hand experiences with the U.S.O. In referring to the many projects taken on by the U.S.O. to lift troop spirits Zac says, “You’re deprived of all things Americana in a ware zone, and something as simple as a comedian getting on a stage can make all the difference for someone in that situation.”

According to press information for the event, the brothers are flying in 200 lbs. of craw-dads for the festivities on Saturday.

Zac explains, “basically it’s a communal dining experience,” with a long line of tables set up where the crawfish and sides are dumped when they’re finished cooking, and people eat shoulder-to-shoulder.

Don’t count yourself as a bona fide crawfish connoisseur if you stop at the sweet tail meat, he cautions. The real way to eat a crawfish is to suck the juice out of the head. “Hopefully I can talk some people into doing that.”

–Amy Loeffler

Tags: Amy Loeffler, Cowboy Cafe, Gut Check, Northern Virginia Magazine, USO, Zac Culbertson