Mardi Gras may mean different things to different people (beads, parades, stiff drinks, to name a few), but above all, it is a celebration of life, beauty, and culture — three things that are at the very heart of Cajun and Creole food.
This year, Mardi Gras’ Fat Tuesday is February 13, the last day of the Carnival season, which always falls the day before Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent.
Whether it be in the warm lights of the French Quarter or here on the much colder streets of Westchester, delicacies such as king cake and jambalaya continue to enchant eaters, filling them with the same love for life central to the cultures that produced them.
These Westchester eateries are sure to serve you that lil’ slice of Bourbon Street you’re looking for, so do like they do in N’awlins: laissez les bons temps rouler, our fine friends!
The Bayou Restaurant
580 Gramatan Ave, Mount Vernon; 914.668.2634
Now in its 33rd year of business, this Mount Vernon mainstay hosts its annual Mardi Gras revelry, a tradition that celebrates great Cajun food and entertainment. Check out the real deal: jambalaya, Southern fried kickin’ chicken, catfish, Swamp & Turf (barbecue gator and ribs) po’ boys, and more. The Bayou offers two dinner seatings on February 13 (6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.) for $60; the meal includes salad, an entrée, and king cake. Sip a famous hurricane cocktail at the bar ($20 cover charge), and revel in the sounds of famous zydeco musician C.J. Chenier, who will perform at the live Mardi Gras bash with his Red Hot Louisiana Band.
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Rye Roadhouse
12 High St, Rye; 914.925.2668
Rye Roadhouse — famous for its Cajun cuisine ranging from classic gumbo to shrimp and grits, crawfish etouffee, po’boys, and the ever-adventurous ‘gator nuggets — is here for your Fat Tuesday celebration on February 13.
The roadhouse will offer crawfish and corn chowder, as well as charbroiled Blue Point oysters on the half-shell with crumbled andouille sausage, garlic herb butter, and parmesan cheese. Other Mardi Gras specials include blackened red snapper filet topped with crawfish etouffee or Cajun surf and turf. A three-piece band will be playing Cajun music beginning at 5:30 p.m.
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Holy Crab Cajun Seafood Restaurant
32 Mamaroneck Ave, White Plains; 914.948.2888
For a discerning foodie looking to get into the spirit of New Orleans in time for Mardi Gras, one need look no further than Holy Crab Cajun Seafood Restaurant. This White Plains restaurant boasts an impressive menu, sporting many Cajun classics like jambalaya, po’boy sandwiches, and gumbo. The menu also has numerous Cajun-style boils, including lobster tail, headless shrimp, and king crab legs.
For Fat Tuesday, the restaurant offers $28/pound snow crab and $50/pound king crab. New this year, the menu also boasts assorted dishes of Vietnamese pho noodles, seven days a week.
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Southern Table Kitchen & Bar
39 Marble Ave, Pleasantville; 914.618.3355
This six-year-old restaurant in Pleasantville is all about inventive Southern cuisine and specializes in classic favorites like fried chicken, cheddar biscuits, tacos, fried green tomatoes, shrimp and grits, burgers, and many more comfort foods — all served with warm Southern hospitality.
On February 13, for Fat Tuesday, Southern Table goes all out with a variety of po’ boys: oysters, catfish, chicken, and grilled jumbo shrimp. Or indulge in one of the flavorful gumbos offered: classic, collard greens and mushrooms, spicy chicken and sausage, mixed seafood, or braised short rib. Wash it down with a house Sazerac or hurricane cocktail.
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Crawdaddy’s Creole Kitchen
68 Wheeler Ave, Pleasantville; 914.449.6199
For its first Fat Tuesday dishing out cozy Creole food, Crawdaddy’s has to go big (so that you don’t want to go home!). Mask up, don your best beads, and delight yourself with specialty cocktails like the king cake milk punch while swaying along to live music. To keep those good times rolling, nosh on cinnamon sugar beignets or swan dive into the thick-and-creamy crawfish and crab bisque.
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Related: 8 Places to Get Tender, Slow-Smoked Barbecue in Westchester
