Here's how to celebrate Mardi Gras at the Jersey Shore
How do you celebrate Mardi Gras, you ask?
If we were in New Orleans, there would be parades filled with floats, costumes, beads and flambeaux performers twirling wooden torches. Bands would play and revelers would party on Bourbon Street.
There won't be any of that at the Shore, unfortunately, but we can still get a taste of the party close to home on Tuesday, Feb. 13. Here's how.
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The Big Easy atmosphere
Lindsay Taylor and Kelly Victor's Main Street restaurant and bar was inspired by places in New Orleans: It is even named in part after Royal Street Inn, a neighborhood bar in the city.
That makes R Bar as close as we'll get to actual Mardi Gras. Their celebration begins Thursday, Feb. 8, lasts through Thursday, Feb. 15 and includes nightly live music, food and drinks. The menu will include dishes like crawfish pappardelle, rum-based hurricanes, and the bar's take on Mardi Gras punch — which Taylor said paradegoers traditionally drink from thermoses in New Orleans.
At Beachwood's Mason's Bar & Grill, owned by Louisiana native Scarlett Dell and Jesse Dedreux, revelers can attend a Mardi Gras party that starts at noon Sunday, Feb. 18. There will be a live brass band, hurricanes from the bar, and gumbo and jambalaya from the kitchen.
Go: R Bar, 1114 Main St., Asbury Park; 732-776-7463, itsrbar.com. Mason's Bar & Grill, 400 Atlantic City Blvd., Beachwood; 732-341-2337, masonsnj.com.
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Enjoy a slice of king cake
Brightly colored king cakes are another Mardi Gras tradition. Baked in an oval and decorated with frostings and sugars in gold (representing power), purple (justice) and green (faith), the cake has a small baby figurine symbolizing Jesus baked inside. The person whose slice includes the baby is named king or queen for the day, and must supply the following year's cake or host the party.
Shore bakeries get in on the fun with their own versions of king cake, including 502 Baking Company in Brick, which bakes a yeast cake with cinnamon streusel inside, a glaze drizzle and purple, yellow and green sprinkles.
The Baker's Grove in Shrewsbury makes a creme fraiche Bundt king cake with layers of cinnamon praline streusel, maple glaze and colored sugars. The bakery also will be making paczki, a Polish pastry enjoyed before the start of Lent.
Go: 502 Baking Company, 502 Brick Blvd., Brick; 732-477-4502, 502bakingcompany.com. Baker's Grove, 524 Broad St., Shrewsbury; 732-243-3249, thebakersgrove.com.
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Bring on Southern flavors
Want to celebrate with a Southern meal? Head to Drew's Bayshore Bistro in Keyport or Clementine's in Avon.
Drew's serves a menu of dishes inspired by Cajun, Gulf Coast and Lowcountry cuisine, including pork cracklings, chicken fried steak, catfish with red beans and rice, crawfish etouffee and bread pudding.
Clementine's has Creole, Cajun and Southern dishes like shrimp remoulade, crab cakes, gumbo, blackened catfish and jambalaya.
For a sweet treat, head to Broad Street Dough Co. for powdered sugar-coated beignets and donuts coated in king cake-colored icings and sprinkles.
Go: Drew's Bayshore Bistro, 44 E. Front St., Keyport; 732-739-9219, drewsbayshorebistro.com. Clementine's, 306 Main St., Avon; 732-988-7979, clementinesavon.com. Broad Street Dough Co. has multiple locations, broadstreetdoughco.com
Sarah Griesemer joined the USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey in 2003 and has been writing all things food since 2014. Send restaurant tips to sgriesemer@gannettnj.com, follow on Instagram at Jersey Shore Eats and subscribe to our Jersey Shore Eats newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Mardi Gras 2024: Where to party, eat at the Jersey Shore
