Mardi Gras 2023: Suburban restaurants letting the good times roll
How is it already time for Fat Tuesday? February has certainly flown by, with the various restaurant weeks and the Super Bowl and Valentine's Day this week. There are a few more days to indulge in Mardi Gras food and drink specials before the fasting of Ash Wednesday, Feb. 22, which is the official start of Lenten season when those observing go meatless on Fridays for 40 days leading up to Easter.
Here are some deals suburban restaurants are offering now through Feb. 21.
Bluegrass
1636 Old Deerfield Road, Highland Park, (847) 831-0595, bluegrasshp.com/. It's time again for Bluegrass' Mardi Gras shrimp boil at 11:30 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 19. Nosh on shrimp, andouille sausage, corn, potatoes, shrimp bisque, shrimp bread and dessert for $60 a person. Make reservations now for tables of two, four or six; all ages are welcome.
Bub City
5441 Park Place, Rosemont, (847) 261-0399, bub-city.com/rosemont/. From Thursday through Tuesday, Feb. 16-21, Bub City will be serving up a muffuletta stacked with three cured meats, provolone, mozzarella and olive salad on a Sicilian sesame loaf for $18.95 and the Cajun gumbo with gulf shrimp and house-smoked andouille sausage for $13.95. Available for dine-in, carryout and delivery.
The Graceful Ordinary
3 E. Main St., St. Charles, (331) 235-5803, thegracefulordinary.com/. Everyone is invited to The Graceful Ordinary's first Mardi Gras brunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 19. Chef Chris Curren has devised a four-course feast that starts off with beignets and a breakfast couscous served family-style before moving on to a second course of birds in a nest (potato nest, brioche toast, egg and chopped bacon). The third course features shrimp and grits before ending the meal with King Cake French Toast topped with cinnamon crème anglaise. Whoever finds the baby during the final course will be crowned king/queen for the day and win two tickets to next year's brunch. Plus, there will be two New Orleans-inspired cocktails available, beignets, masks, beads and music from Four Star Brass Band. Tickets are $100 per person. Reservations required.
Half Day Brewing Company
200 Village Green, Lincolnshire, (847) 821-6933, halfdaybrewing.com/promotions/. It's that time of year again for Fishy Fridays at Half Day. All-you-can-eat fish and chips are $18.99 Fridays, Feb. 24 through April 7.
Hey Nonny
10 S. Vail Ave., Arlington Heights, (224) 202-0750, heynonny.com/shows/free-mardi-gras-show-with-bruce-blanck-friends/. Get in the Mardi Gras spirit with specials from Chef Noe Sanchez such as shrimp po'boy, gumbo and classic beignets, available Friday through Tuesday, Feb. 17-21. Make plans to stop in from 6:30-9:30 p.m. Fat Tuesday for a free show featuring live jazz music from Bruce Blanck and Friends. Reservations are required.
Katie's Kitchen
623 N. Wolf Road, Des Plaines, (847) 803-3544, katieskitchenonline.com/. Tuesday, Feb. 21, is paczki day, and Katie's is offering preorders now. Choose from raspberry, apricot, lemon, Nutella, peanut butter and jelly, cherry and cannoli. A box of three is $8.85, six is $17.70 and 12 is $25.40.
Lynfred Winery
1823 St. Johns, Highland Park, (847) 780-3853, and 971 N. Milwaukee Ave., Wheeling, (847) 229-9463, lynfredwinery.com/winery-events/. Two Lynfred locations are hosting a paczki pairing that includes pairing a raspberry paczki from Central Continental Bakery with a flight of Sparkling Brut, Sparkling Rosé, Zinfandel 2019 and Ruby Reserve from 5-7 p.m. in Highland Park and 5-7:30 p.m. in Wheeling on Tuesday, Feb. 21. It's $22 for nonmembers and $17 for members. Reservations are required; last day to reserve is Feb. 16.
Scratchboard Kitchen
5 W. Campbell St., Arlington Heights, (847) 749-3103, scratchboardkitchenah.com/. Scratchboard Kitchen is gearing up for three Friday fish frys on Feb. 24 and March 3 and 10. For to-go, a bucket of crispy fried fish that serves three to four is $50. Add on scratch-made tartar sauce and Nashville hot honey for $8 each; housemade biscuits and pimiento for $30; arugula, beet and citrus salad for $14; and a four-pack of chocolate chip cookies for $14. Order ahead from exploretock.com/scratchboardkitchen/.
Shaw's Crab House
1900 E. Higgins Road, Schaumburg, (847) 517-2722, shawscrabhouse.com/events/mardi-gras-at-shaws-schaumburg/. Shaw's is letting the good times roll Thursday through Tuesday, Feb. 16-21, with Fat Tuesday specials such as seafood gumbo ($8/$11), crazy Cajun roll with spicy shrimp and crawfish ($17), shrimp po'boy with french fries ($18), chargrilled oysters with garlic and Parmesan ($18), oysters Rockefeller with spinach, fennel and Jarlsberg cheese ($19), New Orleans-style barbecue shrimp with jasmine rice ($25), shrimp and crawfish etoufee with jasmine rice ($25) and, for a treat, Bananas Foster with Homer's Vanilla Bean Ice Cream ($11). As a bonus, there will be live music from 5-8 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 21, in the Oyster Bar.
Skeleton Key Brewery
8102 Lemont Road, Suite 300, Woodridge, (630) 395-9033, skeletonkeybrewery.com/. Skeleton Key is opening up especially for Mardi Gras from 4-10 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 21, so it can release the new Masked Gufo Hazy IPA. Plus, hurricane cocktails will be flowing and Dark Horse Grill will be serving up eats to honor its own anniversary.
Stan's Donuts
529 Oakbrook Center, Oak Brook, (630) 590-1060; 17W615 Butterfield Road, Oakbrook Terrace, (630) 317-7044; 5 Woodfield Mall, Schaumburg, (224) 353-6092; and locations in Chicago and surrounding suburbs; stansdonuts.com/. Guess what? Four paczki flavors are already lining the cases at Stan's. Available now through Tuesday, Feb. 21, try the chocolate cream, cherry, pastry cream and cannoli paczkis. They're $3.55 each, $20.05 for six and $38.05 for a dozen.
Timothy O'Toole's
5572 Grand Ave., Gurnee, (847) 249-0800; 10 W. Grand Ave., Lake Villa, (847) 979-0600; 412 N. Milwaukee Ave., Libertyville, (847) 984-2599; 622 N. Fairbanks Court, Chicago, (312) 642-0700; timothyotooles.com/. Fete Mardi Gras Friday through Tuesday, Feb. 17-21, with specials such as gumbo with shrimp and andouille sausage ($9 cup/$15 bowl); shrimp po'boy ($17); jambalaya with chicken, shrimp and andouille sausage ($17); and beignets ($8). And don't miss the special Holy Hurricane made with 12 liquors and three juices ($9).
Tuscan Market
141 W. Wing St., Arlington Heights, (847) 392-9700, tuscanmarketandwineshop.com/. Get ready for Mardi Gras a few days early with Tuscan Market's second annual Crawfish Boil at 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 18. Dig in to crawfish, shrimp, sausage, corn, potatoes, cornbread, dirty rice and king cakes while imbibing beer, wine and soft drinks for $65 all-inclusive or $40 for the food only. Buy tickets in advance online.