Slim pickings for Fat Tuesday

By David Allen on February 5, 2008 5:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) |

Fat Tuesday, the end of Mardi Gras, is today, and reader/foodie Charles Bentley has a question:

"I was wondering if you have any suggestions for local eateries to enjoy some Mardi Gras cuisine?

"With the loss of the Crescent City Café (and before that, a place called Gumbos), I’ve taken to cooking my own red beans & rice.

"But if you know someplace local – especially a good spot that makes good crawfish etouffee – I would dearly love to know about it. Plus points if they have nice beignets like at the Café du Monde!"

Crescent City Cafe was the restaurant by Montclair Plaza that had to relocate to make way for a Chili's but ultimately couldn't survive in its Ontario location as New Orleans Express.

With them gone, the best I could come up with was Kelly's Cajun Grill in the Ontario Mills food court. The Inland Valley surely must have a soul food restaurant or two, but I'm unaware of them.

Anyone have any suggestions?

2 Comments

John Clifford said:

Unfortunately, the only place I can think of is Popeye's Chicken. You can get red beans and rice (actually not too bad, I go there just for that).

When I was in NO for Mardi Gras in 2000, we asked about a good place for lunch and actually l had Popeye's recommended to us by a local. She said that their etouffee was some of the best in the city (I doubt it, but she was a local). I don't think that our local franchises go quite that far as I've not really seen much in the way of good cajun or creole there.

And I've not seen anywhere like Cafe du Monde! The best!

February 5, 2008 7:57 AM

goddess of pomona said:

Downtown Disney (which is a free outdoor mall attached to Disneyland in Anaheim) has a beignet place. I've gone there with my son a few times, mostly for the beignets! It's attached to what I think is a fancy Cajun restaurant.

Downtown Disney also has a LaBrea bakery restaurant.

February 5, 2008 11:52 AM