Celebrate New Orleans without braving Bourbon Street
Happy Fat Tuesday and welcome Mardi Gras season!
It would sure be nice (and wild) to be on the streets of New Orleans but we can still get a flavor of the city in Tallahassee.
We can find gumbo made with a soul-satisfying deep roux, chown down on red beans and rice, gobble crabs doused in Cajun spices and even find live crawfish. On the sweeter side, you can devour New Orleans-style stuffed snowballs and dive into king cake.
Harry’s Seafood Bar & Grille: Tallahassee is celebrating day and night with Mardi Gras specials, beads and masks (Big Easy style?). New Orleans Seafood on Mahan Drive is a favorite spot for soul-satisfying gumbo, crawfish and crawfish etouffee. You’ll find a cool and colorful treat at Big Easy Snowballs at Lake Ella. Coosh’s Bayou Rouge is cooking up crawfish and lots of Mardi Gras treats. Grab shrimp, crab and fish platters and Cajun seasoning at Ck Crab House on Monroe Street. Treva’s Pastries and Fine Foods is featuring housemade jambalaya in their market freezer so you can bring it home and make your own party. (Sorry we missed ArtiGras at Railroad Square Art District on Feb. 26.)
During Mardi Gras, you’ll want to eat some king cake — the fanciful, oval-shaped confection, typically made with a slightly sweet brioche dough and varied fillings, such as cream cheese, cinnamon, apple and chocolate. The crowning touch is a festive frosting in Mardi Gras colors gold, green and purple. Eat it for breakfast like a Danish or save for dessert.Just don’t eat the baby!
The king cake is said to represent the three kings who brought gifts to Baby Jesus — thus the reason for the small, plastic baby hidden in the cake. It’s considered lucky to find the baby, but if you do, it’s your task to supply the king’s cake for next year’s party. Look for king cakes at Tasty Pastry Bakery and local grocery stores.
