With Mardi Gras right around the corner, and in the spirit of The Parish, The Delta is preparing for its big, Fat Tuesday bash. The annual Mardi Gras celebration is happening at The Parish, located at 6453 N. Oracle Rd., but The Delta is mirroring the party at 135 S. Sixth Ave. in downtown Tucson.

Let the good times roll (early)

However, that’s not all. The Delta will be serving its Carnival Menu early beginning this weekend.

This means we’ve all got access to favorites like the Shrimp ‘n Grits, Chicken and Tasso Jambalaya, Fried Green Tomato Po’boy, Hushpuppies, and the world-famous Drunken Angel, which was just featured in Arizona Highways magazine.

The hugely popular Drunken Angel comes equipped with fine angel hair pasta cooked in Burgundy — the wine stains the noodles, turning them a deep purple color. Then they’re soaked in lobster broth, smothered in saffron red pepper cream, shrimp, and crawfish, and topped with parmesan cheese.

For fans of the Drunken Angel at The Parish, this is incredible news for those living near downtown or who frequent the area.

These new dishes will be available for dine-in, takeout, and delivery — you’ve got options.

Thirst quenchers

Oh, and we can’t forget the spirits. As of today, The Delta is serving up new cocktails in preparation for Mardi Gras. The Hurricane, Strawberry Milk Punch, and Delta Painkiller Fizz are now all featured on the Carnival Menu.

Mardi Gras party

On Tuesday, February 21, The Delta and The Parish are both hosting Mardi Gras celebrations, so no matter which side of town you’re on, you’ve got convenient access to the annual bash. Plus, this year, Tucson Foodie is partnering with both restaurants on Fat Tuesday, so stay tuned for more information on that as we creep closer to the date.

What you can expect, though, is plenty of live music, an alligator roast, pounds and pounds of crawfish, a pop-up tattoo parlor with local tattoo artists (they’ll have Mardi Gras/New Orleans-themed flash art), and a face painter (for those not looking for permanent art).