Mardi Gras, better known as Fat Tuesday, is upon us. Traditionally, it’s the last day to binge before the fasting season of Lent begins the next day on Ash Wednesday. But even if you’re not Catholic, the festive holiday is still an excuse to overindulge in food, drink and merriment. To help you celebrate this Tuesday, we’ve selected a few restaurants and bars in New York City where you can let the good times roll or, as they say in New Orleans, laissez les bons temps rouler.
Virgil’s Real Barbecue
Through Fat Tuesday, Virgil’s Real Barbecue offers a special Mardi Gras menu and cocktail list with a twist on classic Nawlins’ dishes. Stop in and nurse a few Dixie Voodoo Lagers and Virgil’s Hurricanes at the bar. Then nosh on tempting menu options such as the duck and crawfish gumbo with red beans, sausage and rice, fried oyster po’ boy dressed with Creole mustard and blackened redfish with crawfish etouffee served with long grain rice. And save room for bananas foster or sweet potato pecan pie with bourbon whipped cream. 152 W. 44th St., 212-921-9494
Feast
In celebration of Mardi Gras, Feast, a seasonal American eatery in the East Village with a rustic dinner party setting, offers a prix fixe menu ($68 per person, $104 per person with wine pairings) that explores the robust flavors of New Orleans. Through March 10, the menu includes Southern dishes such as BBQ shrimp pie and blackened swordfish. For dessert, satisfy your sweet tooth with a king cake with a bourbon glaze and pecan whip on top. Reservations recommended. 102 Third Ave., 212-529-8880
Bo’s Kitchen & Bar Room
You can nosh on classic Bayou dishes (crispy alligator and spiced Louisiana redfish) and cocktails (Sazerac and Ramos Gin Fizz) every day of the week at Bo’s Kitchen & Bar Room in the Flatiron District. But on Fat Tuesday, the restaurant kicks it up a notch with a live brass band and Mardi Gras beads. Reservations recommended. 6 W. 24th St., 212-234-2373
Bourbon Street Bar & Grill
With its ornate Bayou saloon vibe complete with a wood-carved bar, chandeliers and decorative iron work, Bourbon Street Bar & Grill is the perfect setting for a festive Masquerade Ball on Fat Tuesday, complete with face painting, beads, masks and giveaways. The festivities run from 8 p.m. to midnight, with specials on hurricanes, po’ boys and chicken and sausage jambalaya. 346 W. 46th St., 212-245-2030
W New York-Downtown
Celebrating Mardi Gras in The Big Apple could win you a stay in The Big Easy. Starting at 5 p.m. on Fat Tuesday, W New York – Downtown will serve the Taylor Bird Sazerac ($9) — a signature drink from W French Quarter’s SoBou restaurant made with cognac, rye whiskey, cane syrup, Absinthe rinse and garnished with a lemon twist in the Living Room Bar & Terrace. Each drink comes with a free Billy’s Bakery King Cake cupcake. In keeping with Mardi Gras tradition, one of the cupcakes has a plastic baby figurine hidden inside the frosting. The lucky guest who finds the baby will win a two-night stay for two at W New Orleans. 123 Washington St., 646-826-8600
DBGB Kitchen & Bar
Celebrated French chef and restaurateur Daniel Boulud’s downtown restaurant DBGB Kitchen & Bar will host a New Orleans-themed Whole Hog Feast ($75 per person) on Fat Tuesday with a plethora of beads, unlimited Abita beer and a family-style feast of chicharrones and cornbread, Oysters Rockefeller, a whole roasted suckling pig with Cajun stuffing, dirty wild rise and greens. For dessert, there’s a traditional king cake from pastry chef Mymi Eberhardt. A few lucky guests will win a $25 DBGB gift card if they find a figurine, or feve (lucky charm), in their slice. The Mardi Gras party extends through March 7 with food and beer specials, minus the whole hog. Reservations required. 299 Bowery, 212-933-5300
Catfish
Every day is Mardi Gras at Catfish in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn. The cozy eatery is inspired by the vibrant culture of New Orleans and features nouveau Cajun cuisine such as baked crawfish mac and cheese, shrimp and grits and vegan ratatouille and NOLA-inspired cocktails including the Sidecar and Creole Bloody Mary. Happy hour is every day from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., with $1 oysters and $2 off drinks. 1433 Bedford Ave., Crown Heights, 347-305-3233
MexiBBQ
Both the Astoria and Upper East Side locations of MexiBBQ are hosting Mardi Gras parties. Don’t miss Executive Chef Jonathan Van Sleet’s fresh seafood gumbo paired with a special Mardi Gras brew from Bayou Teche Brewingfor $10. There will also be a choice of potent tequila and bourbon cocktails. 1633 Second Ave. and 37-11 30th Ave. in Queens, 718-626-0333
Louro
Celebrate Mardi Gras early when Louro hosts a seven-course Mardi Gras dinner on Monday. It features five creative cocktails such as Brandy Milk Punch and Category Five (Louro’s take on the hurricane) and Chef David Santos’ tasting menu (plus amuse) of Creole-style fare that includes okra hush puppies, frogs legs, crab and crawfish etouffee and bananas foster beignets. Suppertime is at 7 p.m. and the cost is $75 per person. Reservations recommended. 142 W. 10th St., 212-206-0606
