Tuesday, Feb 21, is Fat Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday. It is best known as Mardi Gras in New Orleans, the day of feasting before preparing for the items you plan to give up for Lent. While New Orleans holds the crown for Carnival and Mardi Gras celebrations, LA features numerous restaurants featuring Cajun cuisine. Here’s where to celebrate Fat Tuesday in LA.
Downtown LA
True New Orleans Po Boys at Little Jewels of New Orleans
Great sandwiches begin with quality bread, and this restaurant imports its bread from Leidenheimer Baking Co in New Orlean. Check out the chalkboard wall for their colorful menu featuring an array of po’boys, muffulettas, and beignets. Take advantage of the creamy, buttery, and cheesy Craw Mac Deluxe Plate with shrimp and their housemade sausage!
Little Jewels of New Orleans, 207 Ord St, LA; 213.620.0461
Fresh Beignets and Bugnes at Pitchoun Bakery
While it may not be the same experience as eating beignets at Cafe du Monde, Pitchoun Bakery will prepare its popular beignets and bugnes coming out of their oven at 8 a.m.
Pitchoun Bakery, 545 S Olive, LA; 213.689.3240; pitchounbakery.com
West Adams
Creamy Crawfish Etouffee at Harold and Belle’s
Harold and Belle’s has been in business for more than 50 years. The third generation of the family now owns and operates the business delivering popular favorites such as their po-boys, filé gumbo, shrimp scampi, and crawfish etouffee. My recap in 2021.
Harold and Belle’s, 2920 W Jefferson Blvd, LA; (323) 735-9023; haroldandbelles.com
Westside
More the merrier at Star Crab
Star Crab is the place to visit on Fat Tuesday if you’re craving Cajun spiced seafood buckets. Have your bucket full of seafood such as mussels, shrimp, crawfish, snow crab, scallops, and more!
Star Crab, 5383 W Centinela Ave. LA; 310.910.0267; thestarcrab.com
South Bay, Carson, and Long Beach
Live Crawfish at Ragin Cajun
While the original Ragin Cajun, Stephen Domingue, no longer owns the restaurant, his recipes from his hometown of Lafayette still live on. This year, they will celebrate Mardi Gras all week, culminating with a weekend concert featuring tribute bands from the 70s.
Ragin Cajun, 525 S Pacific Coast Hwy, Redondo Beach; ragincajuncafe.com
Rich File Gumbo at Darrow’s
One of their most popular items is their filé gumbo. The roux is thick and rich and includes steamed rice and an imported Louisiana Blue Crab. The filé gumbo ya ya is topped with a mound of jambalaya. French bread is included with both items.
Darrow’s, 21720 Avalon Blvd #102, Carson; 424.570.0531; darrowsneworleansgrill.com
Creole Soul at Sal’s Gumbo Shack
While they are best known for their gumbo, jambalaya, and gumbalaya, they also feature a wide variety of soul food, such as fried chicken and waffles, fried turkey wings, oxtails, and croquette and grits.
Sal’s Gumbo Shack, 6148 Long Beach Bl, Long Beach; 562.422.8100; salsgumboshack.com
If you made it this far, I hope you take the time to celebrate Fat Tuesday in LA. It is a fantastic way to celebrate eating regional cuisine.