Mardi Gras lands on Feb. 25 this year, but you don’t have to land in New Orleans to celebrate big (in fact, we think visiting New Orleans after Mardi Gras is the best time to go). And you don’t even need to celebrate it on Fat Tuesday proper. In the month of February, you can do it up for the carnival-themed holiday around the country. We’ve got spots in New York serving up pan-roasted Louisiana Redfish with black-eyed peas (see Valerie) and Chicagoland outposts redesigning the RV on their patio into their makeshift Mardi Gras parade float (see French Korner at Houndstooth Saloon). Rally up the crew, don your finest purple, green, and gold ensemble, and save room for King cake—these are the best Mardi Gras bars you’ll find outside of New Orleans.
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