Hattie’s Restaurant at 45 Phila Street will be holding its annual Crawfish Festival Monday, May 27 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. This year, the offerings will include fresh crawfish by the pound, Hattie’s famous fried chicken, sausage and okra gumbo, and peel and eat shrimp. Hattie’s  has the Capital District’s largest selection of Louisiana beers from which to chose and will be launching its new summer drink menu, which includes innovative drinks such as the fresh mint margarita, island limeade and firewater punch made with cherry moonshine. The Garland Nelson Ensemble will once again provide entertainment.

“We look forward to this day every year,” says Hattie’s chef and owner Jasper Alexander. Alexander has the crawfish flown in fresh from a Louisiana company with which he has been doing business for years. “That company has the freshest products and is wonderful to work with. They love that we do this event ‘up North.’”

 No reservations are necessary. Call 584-4790 for more details.

Hattie’s Restaurant is open for dinner seven days a week from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Brunch is served Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Hattie’s Chicken Shack in Wilton is open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. See www.hattiesrestaurant.com and www.hattieschickenshacks.com.

Hattie's has been a Saratoga institution since 1938. This year marks Hattie’s 75th anniversary. In addition to Hattie’s original restaurant on Phila Street, the Alexander family also operates Hattie’s Track Shack at the Saratoga Race Course and a quick service restaurant in Wilton. Hattie’s has achieved national recognition with features in “The New York Times,” “Gourmet Magazine,” “Food and Wine,” and other prominent publications. In 2006, Hattie’s Restaurant was featured on the Food Networks’ “Throwdown!” with Bobby Flay.

--Jennie