CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) – Mardi Gras is Tuesday, Feb. 25, but one bar in Wrigleyville is celebrating all month long.
Houndstooth Saloon, for the first time ever, is transforming the corner of Clark and Roscoe into the French Korner, bringing a slice of the Big Easy to Chicago with 21 days of Mardi Gras music, food, drink, and merriment.
But how long exactly did it take to set up this party?
“The really cool thing about our menu is that it was curated by an award-winning chef from New Orleans, chef David Dickensauge, two-time Seafood King. So we just let him roll with it. I mean it is something that is his bread and butter that he started doing. He worked with restaurants on Bourbon Street, so it was really easy for him to bring his recipes to Chicago,” Callanta said.
And to pair perfectly with the food menu, the French Korner also has a specialty drink menu complete with Bourbon Street classics like Hand Grenades and Hurricanes, as well as a Voo Doo Punch Bowls, Erin Rose, a Café Brulot, and more!
There will also be special events throughout the month of February, including mask painting and decorating on Tuesdays, with half-priced wine bottles. Pick a mask from French Korner's collection and use glitter, paint, feathers and gems to make a personalized mask ahead of the Masquerade Ball or just for fun! Enjoy half-priced bottles of wine all night.
And then on Saturday, Feb. 22 Houndstooth Saloon is hosting Houndapalooza! Spend Saturday at The French Korner at Houndstooth for a day filled with live music and a crawfish boil with Chef David Dickensauge. There will be two different styles of crawfish served: Vietnamese and Cajun-style.
And to wrap it all up, the festivities conclude Tuesday, Feb. 25 for a Fat Tuesday Celebration with live music, traditional food and drink and a Fat Head parade all night long!
French Korner will be open through Fat Tuesday, Feb. 25.