Mardi Gras, also known as Fat Tuesday or Shrove Tuesday, includes the practice of the last night of eating rich foods before fasting for Lent.
Louisiana has no shortage of flavor in its culture and culinary world, so Mardi Gras there is a grand time.
While Tucson doesn’t have Bourbon Street, a handful of chefs are cooking up a mighty fine”N’Awlins” inspired feast.
Club Congress
311 E. Congress St.
Club Congress at the Hotel Congress will feature Mardi Gras – Carnival! 5 p.m. to close on February 28 with no cover fee.
The event features a hybridization of Mardi Gras and Brazilian Carnival traditions with entertainment including the Carnivaleros, Axé Capoeira Tucson, DJ Buttafly, face painters, ten-foot puppets, samba dancers and more.
Food includes shrimp po boys, gumbo, and jambalaya, while drinks include themed cocktails Voodoo Ranger IPA, and assorted Abita brews.
Lastly, the event will feature the largest King Cake in Arizona and beads for everyone.
For more information, visit hotelcongress.com.
Ghini’s French Caffe
1803 E. Prince Rd.
For morning Mardi Gras, visit Ghini’s. They’ll serve a New Orleans-inspired dish every day February 28 through March 3.
For more information, visit ghiniscafe.com.
Kingfisher
2564 E. Grant Rd.
Kingfisher is hosting its 23rd annual Fat Tuesday celebration 5 – 11 p.m. on February 28.
Live entertainment will feature the Old Pueblo Jazz Band at 5:30 p.m., followed by Dr Mojo and the Zydeco Cannibals from 8:30 p.m. – midnight.
The menu will feature a la carte offerings such as gumbo, red beans and rice, and jambalaya. Traditional cocktails such as hurricanes and Sazeracs will be available alongside Louisiana beers such as Dixie Lager and Abita Turbodog.
Guests will win a Kingfisher t-shirt if they “find the baby” in their King Cake.
Call (520) 323-7739 to make reservations. For more information, visit kingfishertucson.com.
The Parish
6453 N. Oracle Rd.
Chef Travis Peters will smoke a whole alligator, host the annual Crawfish Boil, and offer classic Cajun food specials starting at 3 p.m. on February 28.
The event will feature an Abita Brewery Tap Takeover and Hurricane specials.
The $10 cover charge gives access to the live entertainment inside and outside the event until midnight with musical genres including Cajun-zydeco, Americana, blues, rock, and “funk-n-soul.”
For more information, visit theparishtucson.com.
Reilly Craft Pizza & Drink
101 E. Pennington St.
Reilly is pregaming with the Pre Mardi Gras Abita Brewing Beer Dinner in the Beer Garden at 6 p.m. on Sunday, February 26.
The dinner features five beers, four of which are paired with courses.
Seats are $55 per person. To make reservations, call (520) 882-5550 or visit eventbrite.com.
Welcome Beer
- Purple Haze
First Course
- Fried Oysters – Old Bay, fresno-tomato jam, crispy pickled shallots, pea shoots
- Paired with Mardi Gras Bock
Second Course
- Po’boy Duo – pork torchon, arugula, apple, lemon, Calabrian aioli and turbodog battered crawfish, tomato, romaine, zesty garlic aioli
- Paired with Turbo Dog Brown Ale
Third Course
- Gator Gumbo – crawfish, smoked beef sausage, Calabrian chiles, basmati rice, fennel, fermented garlic
- Paired with Andygator Helles Doppelbock
Fourth Course
- Beignet – Sweet Orange Lager crème anglaise
- Paired with Sweet Orange Lager
For more information and to make reservations, call (520) 882-5550 or visit eventbrite.com.
SAZ Creole Kitchen & Cocktails
4340 N. Campbell Ave.
SAZ is partnering with the merchants at St. Philips Plaza to celebrate both Lundi Gras (Monday, February 27) and Mardi Gras (Tuesday, February 28).
Each day, a marching band from one of two local high schools will march and perform around the plaza at about 5 p.m.
Donations will be collected by the participating merchants to help support the band programs.
SAZ will also offer special fare, including a quick serve meal with numerous options, as well as individual freshly baked King Cakes.
Lastly, the Phil Davis Jazz Session will perform on the SAZ patio from 6 – 10 p.m. on Tuesday, February 28.
Article written by:
Jackie Tran
More about JackieJackie Tran is a Tucson-based food writer, photographer, culinary educator, and owner-chef of the now-closed food truck Tran’s Fats. Although he is best known locally for his work for Tucson Foodie, his work has also appeared in publications such as Bon Appétit, National Geographic, and the New York Times.
An adventurous foodie, he enjoys culinary experiences ranging from seasonal omakase to sloppily devouring green chili patty melts in his car afterhours. His favorite foods include aguachile, garlic noodles, and leftover fried chicken illuminated by the fridge light. His favorite drinks include morning micheladas, fireside imperial stouts, candle-lit negroni, and grassy mezcales.
Outside of food, he also loves playing musical instruments, karaoke, Tetris, Super Smash Bros. Melee, and petting Addie’s dog Spaghetti.
If you’d like to stalk him, visit his Instagram @jackie_tran_ or jackietran.com.
