Now, with Lenten season upon us (February 22 – April 6), some of New Orleans’ top restaurants are offering tasty Lent-friendly dishes and specials. From Fish Fry Fridays at Mister Mao and seafood specialties at Compere Lapin to Crawfish Cakes at Birdy’s and house-made pastas at Jack Rose, restaurants are offering something for every palate.
Mister Mao
Throughout the Lenten season, Mister Mao will be hosting Fish Fry Fridays.
Each Friday during dinner, Chef/Owner Sophina Uong will offer Fried Masa Harina Fish with spicy shrimp + coconut milk sauce, red palm oil, and fresh coriander served with seasonal accompaniments ($25).
4501 Tchoupitoulas Street, New Orleans
Toups Meatery
While Chef Isaac Toups might be known for his melt-in-your-mouth meats, the author of Chasing the Gator: Isaac Toups and the New Cajun Cooking has been fishing and crabbing down the Bayou since he was a toddler.
For Lent, Chef Toups is featuring delightfully-fresh seafood dishes including LA Jumbo Lump Crab Nicoise Salad with pickled green beans, spicy fingerling potatoes, olives, pickled quail and boquerones vinaigrette; Couvillion (his Maw Maw’s recipe) with Louisiana Gulf fish, crab and crab fat rice; and Marinated Crab Claws with coconut lime vinaigrette and pickled pineapple at Toups Meatery.
845 N Carrollton Avenue, New Orleans
Compere Lapin
For Lent, Compere Lapin — Chef Nina Compton’s award-winning restaurant in the Warehouse Arts District, in the lobby of the funky boutique Old No. 77 Hotel, is serving up a variety of seafood specialties including Crawfish Roll on a milk bun with shrimp fat aioli and celery salad; Broiled Shrimp with Calabrian butter; Hamachi Collar with hot honey and tartar sauce; Scialatielli with Gulf shrimp and butternut squash.
535 Tchoupitoulas Street, New Orleans
Jack Rose
The culinary crown jewel of the Pontchartrain Hotel, Jack Rose by QED Hospitality, brings an eclectic and exciting dining experience to New Orleans’ Garden District.
For Lent season, relish in a variety of specials created by Chef/Owner Brian Landry including Crabmeat Mac n Cheese; Bucatini Verde; Gnocchi Sardi with shrimp; and Squid Ink Campanelle.
Jack Rose at the Pontchartrain Hotel, 2031 St. Charles Avenue, New Orleans
Bakery Bar
Bakery Bar is serving savory dishes is offering guests Blackened Tilapia Tacos – three corn tortilla tacos served with squash, zucchini salad, and patacones and Moules Mariniere – PEI mussels steamed with banana leaves and candied oranges in white wine cream sauce.
1179 Annunciation Street, New Orleans
Tujague’s
Tujague’s, the second oldest restaurant in New Orleans and the third oldest continuously operating restaurant in the U.S., invites guests to enjoy the Seared Louisiana Crab Cake – served with a bourbon corn sauce; and Shrimp and Grits – pan seared gulf shrimp simmered in a New Orleans-style BBQ sauce, served over stone ground grits.
429 Decatur Street, New Orleans
The Bower
Culinary darling for Latter Hospitality, The Bower will offer Roasted Gulf Shrimp and Mushrooms – lion’s mane and chestnut mushrooms, parmesan and miso broth, orange compound butter; and the Gulf Fish, served with crispy basmati rice, Maggie’s mushrooms, lobster, and tomato broth, citrus, and arugula salad.
1320 Magazine Street, New Orleans
Birdy’s
Birdy’s serves up Southern-inspired, locally-sourced American cuisine.
For Lent, try the Crawfish Cake – pepper jack cheese, crab boil aioli, dill slaw, apple cider vinaigrette or Smoked Salmon Toast – whipped cream cheese, apricot marmalade, grapefruit, dijon vinaigrette, smoked trout roe, with a farm salad.
1320 Magazine Street, New Orleans