Ash Wednesday generally signals the beginning of the Lenten season and the time to nix meat from Friday's menus. In New Orleans, Ash Wednesday gives Catholics (and those who simply love seafood) another reason to seek out the city's finest. Now that we're halfway to Easter, it may be time to explore a few new options with menus that make keeping the faith in New Orleans easy.

Jaeger's. 901 S Clearview Pkwy. Hurricane Katrina may have washed away the Lakefront building, but it didn't dampen the spirit at Jaeger's. A new Harahan location still serves up some of the best, and freshest, seafood that New Orleans has to offer. The family-friendly restaurant features boiled crawfish specials on Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday, and heaping platters of freshly fried catfish, shrimp, and oysters the rest of the week. The preparations are simple – no fancy sauces or crazy combinations – but the menu offers nearly endless combinations of seafood favorites like stuffed crab, shrimp pasta, and broiled catfish. Go hungry – boiled, broiled, or fried, you're sure to leave stuffed!

La Thai. 4938 Prytania St., New Orleans. Ethnic food is usually not the first fare that comes to mind when looking for a Lent-friendly restaurant selection. But with seafood dishes outnumbering those featuring chicken or beef, La Thai is a great choice. The trendy restaurant recently closed its doors on Metairie Road to open a new Uptown location. In the building that formerly housed Felix's, LaThai is serving up much of the same menu along with a few new dishes. Those observing the Lenten rules can enjoy Chilean Sea Bass with spicy green coconut curry, jumbo lump crabmeat, sautéed vegetables and Jasmine rice, Sea Scallops with asparagus, shrimp, mushrooms, and a spicy basil sauce, or a shrimp or crawfish Curry. Slightly more upscale than your average Thai restaurant, La Thai makes for a great date.

Zea Rotisserie and Grill. Multiple Locations. Don't be fooled by the string of locations across the south. Zea isn't your average chain restaurant. Instead, it's a New Orleans born creation that, due to its immense popularity with the local crowd, has opened ten locations between Pensacola and Albuquerque. (Four of the locations are in the New Orleans Metro Area.) The Lenten season conveniently coincides with Zea's Seafood Season -- obviously not unintended. A special Seafood Season menu features Seafood Season specials like the Fried Shrimp & Grits and Caribbean Catfish as well as the restaurant's usual, and delicious, seafood offerings like the Asian Almond Shrimp and the Trout Lafitte. Be warned: the Thai-Style Ribs that the restaurant is known for warrant a second trip on another day of the week!

Crabby Jack's. 428 Jefferson Hwy., Jefferson. Expect a crowd when you pull up to the non-descript building that houses Crabby Jacks. The lunchtime-only hours leave a limited amount of time to enjoy the spectacular casual fare. Chef Jack Leonardi, of Jaque Imo's fame, comes up with po' boy and lunch plate versions of his fancier Jaque Imo's dishes. You'll find plenty of fried seafood – po' boys and platters – and it's all done well. Platters come with deliciously down-home side dishes like the creamy Mac and Cheese with crispy edges. His fun specialties, like Fish Tacos made with salmon cradled in a crispy shell and Fried Green Tomato Po' Boys topped with shrimp remoulade, along with a board of specials that feature the freshest catches of the day give those avoiding meat plenty of options.