Best Ways To Celebrate Fat Tuesday In Chicago
Cactus Bar and Grill
404 S. Wells Street
Chicago, IL 60607
CactusChicago.com
Cactus Bar and Grill will hold their fifth annual Crawfish Eating Contest for Charity on Tuesday, February 17 at 6:30 p.m. This fun, Fat Tuesday event encourages competitors to consume three pounds of crawfish in the fastest amount of time possible. The participation fee is $20 per person, which includes an official Cactus Crawfish Contest t-shirt, all you can eat crawfish, and a Hurricane cocktail served in a souvenir glass. All proceeds from the event (including the entrance fee) will benefit K9 4 KEEPS, a Chicago-based volunteer dog rescue.
Contestants will be divided into heats, and the winner of each heat will compete in the final round. The first place competitive eater will be awarded a $100 gift certificate to Cactus Bar and Grill; the second place winner will receive a "Hurricanes at Home" gift basket; and the third place participant will win a cooler stocked with Abita beer. Plenty of Mardi Gras accessories, such as beads and masks, will be passed out to the crowd. To reserve a spot in the crawfish competition, please visit CactusChicago.com.
In addition, Cactus will feature Mardi Gras menu specials from February 17-20, with $1 from each drink/dish benefiting K9 4 KEEPS. Drink specials include pints of Abita Mardi Gras Bock ($6);Lakefront Brewing Big Easy Maibock ($6); 3 Floyd's Zombie Dust ($7); and Hurricanes served in a souvenir glass ($9 with glass; $7 without). Chef Glenn Pistorio will offer a variety of New Orleans themed dishes, such as Chicken and Sausage Gumbo ($5 cup/$7 bowl); Catfish Po' Boy sandwich ($12); Seafood Etouffee ($12); and Crawfish Boil Platter ($12). The complete menu is outlined below.
Commonwealth Tavern
2000 W Roscoe Street
Chicago, IL 60618
www.commonwealthchicago.com
Commonwealth Tavern will celebrate Fat Tuesday with $3 Hurricanes and an $8 Gumbo special created by Chef Donny Farrell.
Frontier
1072 North Milwaukee
Chicago, IL 60642
www.thefrontierchicago.com
Frontier celebrates Fat Tuesday with an authentic Louisiana shrimp boil on Tuesday, February 17 at 6 p.m. For $33 per person, guests will enjoy an all-you-can-eat shrimp boil complete with potatoes and corn as well as complimentary King Cake. Frontier will feature additional food and drink specials including $10 Red Beans and Rice, $13 Shrimp Po'boys, $5 Hurricanes, $6 Sazeracs, and $4 Abitas. Seating is first-come, first-served, and tickets can be purchased at www.thefrontierchicago.com/events-tickets.
Lottie's
1925 W Cortland
Chicago, IL 60622
www.lottiespub.com
Lottie's invites guests to celebrate Mardi Gras with themed drink specials and menu items. On Fat Tuesday, February 17, Lottie's will host a FREE brand sampling with Abita and prize giveaway. Featured specials include; $5 20-ounce Hurricanes, $5 20-ounce Hand Grenades, $4 Abita pints and $7 Jambalaya.
Nacional 27
325 W. Huron Street
Chicago, IL 60654
N27Chicago.com
What better time to sip and savor a hurricane cocktail than during Mardi Gras season? On Thursday, February 19, learn how to create the popular N'awlins libation at Nacional 27. Beverage Manager Elyse Fuller will lead a Hurricane Cocktail Class in the lounge from 6-8 p.m., featuring a welcome flute of prosecco, Hurricane cocktail instruction (light rum, dark rum, orange juice, lime juice, passion fruit, simple syrup and grenadine), and light tapas. The participation fee of $27 includes recipe cards to take home.
To sign up for the class, visit N27Chicago.com.
The Pony
1638 West Belmont
Chicago, IL 60657
www.theponychicago.com
Now through Tuesday, February 17th The Pony will celebrate Mardi Gras with menu specials like $7 Jambalaya created by New Orleans native, Pioneer Tavern Group Corporate Chef Brian Jupiter. Featured drink specials include $5 22-ounce Pony Punch Hurricanes and $4 Abita pints.
Lauren Wulf LaRoche writes about living in Chicago on a budget on her website, A Poor Girl's Guide Chicago.