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It'll be tough to replicate the spirit of Mardi Gras in your one-bedroom apartment, but chef Brian Jupiter wants to help you try. His Wicker Park restaurant, Ina Mae Tavern & Packaged Goods, just kicked off a monthlong New Orleans-style celebration that offers daily deals on food and drink, virtual events and a carryout absinthe cocktail bar.
"Mardi Gras is such a unique celebration that it's hard to forget about it, even with COVID-19," says NOLA native Jupiter. "We had such a great lineup of events last year for Mardi Gras, so we wanted to recapture some of that energy and send it to our guests' homes through food and drink offerings that taste like they're straight from New Orleans."
Between now and Fat Tuesday (February 16), diners can cash in on recurring specials Tuesday through Sunday, including discounted bottles of wine and take-home crawfish boils. Here's a breakdown of what to expect each day of the week:
- Tuesdays: $12 po' boys and $16 hurricanes
- Wednesdays: Discounted bottles of wine
- Thursdays: Live virtual bingo at 7pm, with hurricane and cafe au lait cocktail kits available for $35
- Fridays and Saturdays: NOLA classics available to go, including gumbo, jambalaya and shrimp creole
- Sundays: $39 at-home crawfish boils
The restaurant will host live virtual bingo every Thursday at 7pm, and every carryout order that's placed before then will receive a bingo card to play along. If you'd rather imbibe your way through the holiday, check out Ina Mae's absinthe lounge, which offers to-go cocktails like the Corpse Reviver and straight pours of the anise-flavored spirit. The festivities conclude on Tuesday, February 16 with a Fat Tuesday crawfish boil that includes 2 pounds of seafood, corn and potatoes for $39; make it boozy with a hurricane or daiquiri cocktail kit for an additional $40.
All orders can be placed through Ina Mae's website—beads sold separately.
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