Mardi Gras is coming: Where to get king cake, crawfish and Hurricanes in Central Ky.
Mardi Gras comes every year and suddenly everybody’s talking “cher” and craving Cajun food. This year it is Feb. 25, so get your beads and Hurricane glasses ready.
If it feels like there’s more of a New Orleans flavor in the Bluegrass than ever, that’s because there is. There are more options for where to get everything from jambalaya to gumbo, king cake to pralines.
Here’s a rundown of where to get your Fat Tuesday fix:
▪ Bourbon ‘n’ Toulouse and Chevy Chase Inn, 829 Euclid Ave., will celebrate Fat Tuesday beginning at 11 a.m. with alligator etouffee, king cake from Sunrise Bakery, and a crawfish boil that starts at 6:30 p.m. with 400 pounds of crawfish flying in Tuesday morning. The party continues until 1 a.m. at Chevy Chase Inn with overflow seating. Abita beer specials, Hurricanes and blues music. You can also pre-order food by the quart or gallon for pickup. Call 859-335-0300 or email catering@ilovecajun.com to order by Monday night.
▪ Gumbo Ya Ya, 1080 South Broadway and 294 East Brannon Rd., will celebrated Mardi Gras beginning at 11 a.m. with lobster etouffee, alligator sauce piquant and crawfish creole along with many of other Cajun staples starting Feb. 21 and running through Fat Tuesday. You can also pre-order a king cake, with beads, baby and cream cheese filling for $22.50. Call 859-252-9292 (Broadway) or 859-245-9292 (Brannon) for more details or to order king cakes, carry-out party packs or gallons for Fat Tuesday parties.
▪ Martine’s Pastries, 400 East Third St., is taking orders for king cakes. Call 859-231-9110 to order either a 10-inch (about 12 servings) cake for $28 or a double for $48 (about 20-24 servings) made with yeasted sweet dough and filled with chestnut paste and cream cheese.
▪Caramanda’s Bake Shoppe, 332 Southland Dr. and 2901 Richmond Road, is taking orders for king cakes, $25 (feeds 12) per cake; cinnamon, cherry, apple and cream cheese flavors available. Call to reserve.
▪ Magee’s Bakery, 726 East Main, is taking orders for king cakes and will have them available on Mardi Gras. They are $20 each, available in traditional flavors.
▪ Donut Days, 185 Southland Dr., is has king cakes now, is taking orders for Mardi Gras and will have them on Fat Tuesday. Available in cinnamon, cream cheese, apple and cherry flavors for $21.99 and comes with beads, coin, and baby in a presentation box. Call 859-277-9414.
▪ Sunrise Bakery, 111 West Main St., is taking orders for king cakes through Monday and will have a few extra on hand on Fat Tuesday. Theirs is a rum-soaked raisin for $25; call 859-255-0304.
▪ J. Gumbo’s, 808 North Limestone, open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. will have extra menu items for Fat Tuesday, including blackened creole beef stew, crawfish etouffee, seafood gumbo, eggplant creole, creole sausage white bean and spinach soup, pimento cheese and bacon hush puppies, king cake bread pudding, Nutella stuffed beignets and gelato with raspberry sauce.
▪ J. Render’s Southern Table & Bar, 3191 Beaumont Centre Circle, will offer a four-course Cajun dinner, including gumbo, shrimp etouffee, jambalaya and king cake for $40 per person. Reservations required; call 859-533-9777.
▪ Copper Roux, 861 South Broadway, and Bayou Bluegrass Catering will be holding their annual Mardi Gras celebrations beginning with Fat Friday on Feb. 21. with reservations from 5 to 7:30 p.m. On Tuesday, reservations begin at 11 a.m. and roll on to 7:30 p.m. They offer a huge Mardi Gras buffet, with boiled crawfish, fried alligator, fried catfish, Cajun fried turkey, red beans & rice, shrimp etouffee, jambalaya, gumbo, king cake, bread pudding, pralines, beignets and much more. Call 859-523-7915 for reservations or go to bayoubluegrass.com.
▪ Winchell’s, 348 Southland Drive, is hosting Mardi Gras beginning at 11 a.m. with a menu of fried crawfish tails and okra, chicken and sausage gumbo, crawfish etouffee, cajun red beans and rice with blackened catfish or chicken, seafood jambalaya, shrimp and grits, king cake and Hurricanes. Reservations are not required but recommended for groups of six or more. Call 859-278-9424.
▪ Good Foods Co-op, 455 Southland Dr., will fill the hot buffet with Mardi Gras specials from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. The menu includes chicken & andouille etouffee, vegan jambalaya, vegan gumbo, cajun pollock, okra stew with squash and tomato, Cajun mac & cheese, Cajun red beans and rice, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, veggies sides including Good Foods kale, plus bananas Foster and bread pudding, all for $8.99 a pound.
▪ Roulay Restaurant and Bar, Lexington’s newest Cajun restaurant at 107 West Short St., will be open on Mardi Gras from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and the crawfish boil starts at 3 p.m. There will be live entertainment by The Dames Burlesque troupe from 6 to 10 p.m., with late night food and drinks from 8 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. Menu includes NOLA style BBQ shrimp with rice, sorghum corn cake and chow chow relish, fresh gulf oysters, andouille sausage and chicken gumbo, crawfish or chicken etouffee, jambalaya, vegetarian red beans and rice, maque choux with boudin sausage and rice bowl platters.
▪ Oscar Diggs, 155 North Limestone, will have Cajun classics for Mardi Gras, and through the weekend, with special brunch items including a blackened half chicken and red beans and rice, shrimp etouffee and a creole casserole.
▪ Blue Door Smokehouse, 226 Walton Ave., will have a smoked etouffee with smoked sausage and smoked chicken, served over rice, for $8 for a bowl, $4 for a cup on Fat Tuesday.
▪ Windy Corner Market, 4595 Bryan Station Rd., will serve Chef Sean Willoughby’s étouffée with crawfish, chicken or shrimp, shrimp and grits, chicken gumbo and dirty rice Feb. 22 and through Mardi Gras.
▪ The Midway Bakery, 510 South Winter St. in Midway, is taking orders through Feb. 22 for king cakes, $35 large, $14.99 small. Call 859-846-4336.
▪ Honeywood, 110 Summit at Fritz Farm, Suite 140, and Chef Lawrence Weeks will serving red beans and rice, an oyster po-boy, chicken and sausage gumbo and veggie jambalaya on Mardi Gras. Reservations online at honeywoodrestaurant.com or call 859-469-8234.
▪ Smithtown Seafood, 501 West Sixth St., will be open on Mardi Gras 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., with neighbor West Sixth Brewing open until 11 p.m. serving Chef Agnes Marrero’s crawfish mac and cheese, shrimp and andouille gumbo and jackfruit creole fritters with remoulade.
▪ Zim’s Cafe, 215 West Main St., will have gumbo from sous chef Paul Hieb with chicken, sausage and shrimp, plus beignets, and Abita beer and root beer. Specials available Feb. 21-25. Reservations at zimscafe.com or call 859-785-3690.
▪ DV8 Kitchen, 867 South Broadway, has Mardi Gras cinnamon rolls, complete with green, purple and gold sugar.
▪ Palmer’s Fresh Grill, 161 Lexington Green Circle, Suite C-8, on Mardi Gras will have two-for-one Hurricanes, and free beignets with purchase of two entrees. Specials will include shrimp & crawfish etouffee, creole salmon and Grand Marnier creme brûlée.
▪ Thoroughbreds Restaurant, 1483 Leestown Rd., will start the party at 5 p.m. with New Orleans-style food and drinks.
▪ Creaux, 310 West Short St., is open for lunch on Fat Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. serving chicken and sausage gumbo, shrimp etouffee, red beans and rice, and a fried gator basket. Your choice for $10, including a drink and piece of king cake.
▪ Ramsey’s, all locations, will have a Mardi Gras specials for lunch and dinner including more than 1,200 pounds of fresh crawfish, red beans and rice, gumbo, king cake and drink specials.
▪ Blue Stallion Brewing, 610 West Third St., will have a crawfish boil from Dad’s Favorites Deli and special beers including Hot Peppered Helles and King Cake Hefeweizen on tap all day starting at 11 a.m. Dad’s will have gumbo, muffalettas and beer cheese chicken etouffee while it lasts.
▪ KSBar and Grille, 1030 South Broadway, is running a Mardi Gras menu all week through Feb. 25. You can get gumbo, oyster poboys, shrimp poboys, shrimp and grits, jambalaya on rice, and beignets.
▪ Alfalfa, 141 East Main St., will serve classic red beans and rice for $5 on Fat Tuesday.
▪ The Stave, 5711 McCracken Pike in Millville outside Frankfort, will be open 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Fat Tuesday with jambalaya, maque choux and oyster po’boys as well as the crawfish, andouille & chicken etouffee that just hit the menu.
▪ Proud Mary BBQ, 9079 Old Richmond Rd., will start at 3 p.m. and party until its over. The menu includes Hurricanes, boiled crawfish and a full Louisiana buffet, including jambalaya, fried turkey, fried catfish, ham, BBQ shrimp, crawfish etouffee, red beans & rice, BBQ pork, BBQ chicken, baby back ribs, smothered cabbage, macaroni & cheese, green beans, potato salad, cole slaw, bread pudding and king cake. Buffet is $29. Crawfish is 1 lb for $13, 3 lbs with corn & potatoes for $33 and 5 lbs with corn & potatoes for $50. Proudmarybbq.com or call 859-913-5611.
▪ Broussard’s Delta Kitchen, 135 East Main St. in Georgetown, will serve a Mardi Gras buffet from 5 to 9 p.m. Reservations for parties of six or more, call 502-642-4193. Buffet is $24 and boiled crawfish for $13 per pound. Carry-out dinner option also available. Buffet will include seafood gumbo, duck and andouille gumbo, jambalaya, blacked redfish meunierre, shrimp creole, fried catfish, king cakes and more. Plus $6 Hurricanes and Black Pearls as well as several beer and wine specials
▪ Tin Roof, 303 South Limestone, will begin the celebration at 7 p.m. They will have the UK-Texas A&M game on, $10 shrimp po-boys and Voodoo Grinders and $5 Hurricanes all day long.
▪ The Green Lantern Bar, 497 West Third St, will celebrate “Fat Tiki Tuesday” beginning at 4 p.m. with $3 Abita beers, $4 voodoo punch, $5 tiki drinks and $10 crawfish plates.
▪ Mirror Twin Brewing, 725 National Ave., will have Mardi Gras cocktails including Hurricanes, the Sazerac, Voodoo Breeze, plus $13 pitchers of flagship beers.
▪ Nola’s Family Food and Fun, 216 S. Walnut St. in Cynthiana, will have Cajun food and king cake beginning at 7 a.m., including po-boys, gumbo, red beans and rice, jambalaya, shrimp creole, etouffee and shrimp and grits.
This story was originally published February 20, 2020 at 10:30 AM.
