There\u2019s never a wrong time to indulge in Cajun food, but there\u2019s perhaps no better time than Mardi Gras, which is Feb. 17. Seafood lovers, meat fans and veggie aficionados alike have dining options for Fat Tuesday. This week\u2019s column is by no means an exhaustive list, but here are previews of some of the flavors you\u2019ll find around the Fort.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Since I just know you also came to this article wanting a history lesson on the origins of Mardi Gras, I\u2019ll fill you in. Mardi Gras is the American iteration of Carnival, a Catholic festival celebrated around the world to mark the final days before Lent.\u00a0<\/p>\n
According to an article from History.com, Carnival was early Christianity\u2019s rebranded version of Roman and pagan traditions celebrating the vernal or spring equinox. Carnival allegedly also drew inspiration from the Roman celebrations of Saturnalia<\/a>, which honored the Roman god Saturn during the winter solstice, and Lupercalia<\/a>, a fertility festival.\u00a0<\/p>\n See? Learning is fun. Now, let\u2019s talk about food.<\/p>\n Crawfish season is on at Razzoo\u2019s Cajun Cafe<\/p>\n Razzoo\u2019s Cajun Cafe restaurant announced on its social media pages that crawfish season is here, meaning customers can dig into crawfish boils and order the crustaceans by the pound.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cFresh boils, bold seasoning, and all the Cajun flavor you\u2019ve been waiting for are hitting tables daily,\u201d according to the eatery\u2019s Instagram post<\/a>.<\/p>\n Crawfish also appears on their menu<\/a> in etouffee with dark roux sauce and a Cajun cheese fondue \u2013\u2013 with garlic toast for dipping \u2013\u2013 while other dishes include stuffed flounder, fried shrimp, Zydeco Pasta Chicken, and catfish with jalapeno. The fondue can also be prepared with chicken or shrimp, while Zydeco Pasta also comes in a shrimp version.<\/p>\n The Cajun cuisine chain was in the news<\/a> recently after being acquired by M Crowd Restaurant Group, the parent company behind Mi Cocina and the Dallas fine dining spot The Mercury.\u00a0<\/p>\n Razzoo\u2019s has several locations in Fort Worth and across Tarrant County.<\/p>\n 318 Main St., Fort Worth; 817-429-7009;<\/p>\n 2950 Texas Sage Trail, Fort Worth; 817-750-0011<\/p>\n Meatless sausage gumbo and more at Spiral Diner<\/p>\n Spiral Diner, the vegan restaurant on Magnolia Avenue, is bringing Mardi Gras flavor with their latest Blue Plate special. While Cajun food frequently features seafood, chicken and sausage, the flavors at the foundation of Cajun cuisine \u2013\u2013 what\u2019s sometimes known as the \u201choly trinity\u201d of Cajun and Creole cooking \u2013\u2013\u00a0are celery, onion and bell pepper. There\u2019s a meatless sausage-based dish also on offer.<\/p>\n Grilled red bell peppers and onions appear on Spiral\u2019s Big Easy Zucchini Po\u2019 Boy alongside breaded zucchini, lettuce, pickles and house tartar on a ciabatta hoagie with a side of potato chips.\u00a0<\/p>\n A vegan sausage gumbo studded with okra, carrots and celery is served over rice, its Creole roux flavored with \u201chints of cayenne and sassafras,\u201d according to their menu<\/a>. For \u201ca coastal taste,\u201d there are Hearts-of-Palm Crab Cakes seasoned with Old Bay and served with tartar sauce.\u00a0<\/p>\n 1314 W. Magnolia Ave., Fort Worth; 817-332-8834<\/p>\n The Mardi Gras Madam at The Bearded Lady<\/p>\n There\u2019s a surf and turf burger of the month at The Bearded Lady on South Main Street and judging by the photo<\/a> the eatery shared on Instagram, it looks huge. The Mardi Gras Madam sees garlic-butter grilled shrimp and a beef patty stacked with alfredo sauce and Caesar-dressed romaine lettuce, according to the post.<\/p>\n The online menu<\/a> shows many burgers ranging from $12 to $16, including smash burgers, spicy and Impossible patty varieties. One of the most gravity-defying options is the Spicy AF Burger, a half-pound beef patty with pepper jack cheese, fried Fresno peppers, grilled jalapenos, lettuce, onion and habanero mayo.\u00a0<\/p>\n Another option is The Big Dill, which also features a half-pound of beef as well as Best Maid Martin House dill queso, fried pickles, Salty Lady pickles, bacon and dill ranch on a brioche bun.<\/p>\n Other menu items are salads, soups, sandwiches and many beers and cocktails.\u00a0<\/p>\n 300 S. Main St., Fort Worth; 817-349-9832<\/p>\n We\u2019d love to hear from you! Send your restaurant tips and hot takes to erin.ratigan@fortworthreport.org<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n