Photo Credit: Town Hall
Happy Fat Tuesday! Wishing you were partying it up on Bourbon Street instead of sitting at your desk right now? We feel you — a raucous booze-fueled, bead-filled night sounds like fabulous fun, but luckily, you don’t have to hop on a flight and head to Louisiana to celebrate Mardi Gras tonight. There’s plenty of haute festivities happening here in San Francisco. Keep reading for our recommendations.
Photo Credit: Town Hall
One of the city’s longest and best annual Mardi Gras parties is downtown at Town Hall. It’s so well known that they even have a countdown that ticks the seconds until the party starts on their website. The wait is over tonight at 6 pm when the Town Hall team is serving up N’awlins fare including fried chicken, jambalaya, gumbo, oysters, barbecue shrimp, and étouffée. They’re pouring Hurricanes, Abita Beer, and Leblon Cairpirinhas. There’s also live music, samba dancers, beads, feather boas, masks, and face painters, so prepare to get dressed up and let loose.
Photo Credit: Boxing Room’s Twitter Feed
Boxing Room is our favorite restaurant for Louisiana-inspired cuisine and naturally the restaurant is throwing a celebration for Mardi Gras. Gaucho Gypsy Jazz is playing at their 4th annual party which begins at 6 pm. Boiled crawfish is the addition to their regular menu of hearty scrumptious dishes like hushpuppies with pepper jelly, fried gator with creole remoulade, red beans and sausage, and smoked chicken and andouille gumbo. On February 6th, Boxing Room launched it’s new cocktail program with a full bar curated by Jonny Raglin, so Fat Tuesday is their first big party with liquor libations. The menu features NOLA classics like Sazaracs and Hurricanes.
Photo Credit: Forge
If you’re in the East Bay, head to Jack London Square’s Forge restaurant. The restaurant specializes in wood-fired cooking and for Fat Tuesday, they’re offering a delectable pizza topped with crawfish, housemade sausage, spicy remoulade, and escarole. It pairs perfectly with one of the local beers that are on tap.
Photo Credit: Hopscotch
Fat Tuesday food is being served all day at Uptown Oakland’s Hopscotch from 11:30 am until 10 pm. There’s gumbo, boudin balls, red beans, dirty rice, and shrimp bo’boys. An extended happy hour will run from 3 to 6 pm with Pimm’s Cups, Vieux Carre, and Sazerac’s being shaken by owner and beverage manager, Jenny Schwarz.
Photo Credit: Bluestem Brasserie
Back in SF, at Market Street’s Bluestem Brasserie, chef Francis Hogan is plating up his versions of the traditional muffaletta sandwich and creole jambalaya with Gulf shrimp, confit chicken, crawdads, and housemade Andouille sausage. There’s also gumbo soup that’s paired with their bar’s take of the Sazerac made with rye, simple syrup, Peychaud Bitters, and an absinthe rinse. Finish off your meal with a slice of King Cake for dessert.
Photo Credit: Schroeder’s
A German restaurant for Mardi Gras? Why not?! The folks at Schroeder’s are hosting a Fasching, Germany’s pre-lent celebration that’s the equivalent to Mardi Gras. The beads and beer party is in the Beer Hall and starts at 4 pm.
Photo Credit: MatrixFillmore
Down at the triangle in the Marina, the Plumpjack peeps are throwing a party at the MatrixFillmore.Funky Mardi Gras tunes will set the tone for the evening.Sazeracs, French 75s, and Abita beer are only $5 a pop. For $10, you can enjoy a potent Hurricane or frothy Ramos Gin Fizz. There’s also muffuletta bites and gumbo. The party starts at 6 pm and runs until 9.
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