Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen: Bites Nearby

If the words andouille, etoufee, gumbo and roux make your eyes glaze over and start your mouth salivating, then this is your time of year.

Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen in Westmont is the place to be for those who love the Mardi Gras party but don’t want to travel far to get there.

The celebration begins March 4th and extends through Fat Tuesday, March 8.

Pappadeaux manager Mike Booth and kitchen manager Michael Russell have been preparing for the festivities.

“It’s going to look like a Mardi Gras explosion,” Booth said. “There will be t-shirts, beads and a four person Zydeco band complete with washboard.”

Russell has been busy planning in the kitchen for the throngs of people who will come in over the five-day period looking to satisfy their Cajun cravings.

“We’ll be getting fresh crawfish delivered in two to three shipments of 600 pounds each for the weekend,” Russell said. “And I’ve heard this year, they’re a really nice size.”

And the seafood at Pappadeaux isn’t fresh-frozen either. Russell’s favorite saying regarding the fish is, “It’s so fresh it was swimming yesterday.”

Menu items such as shrimp Creole, Alaskan king crab and dirty rice, frog legs, fried alligator, and andouille sausage and seafood gumbo can be paired with a great selection of wine and beer, or venture into the specialty cocktails. How about a Swampthing with raspberry and melon liqueurs blended with frozen hurricane and margarita? Or maybe the fruity Pirate’s Punch?

Whether it’s a cocktail you try or a tall glass of homemade strawberry lemonade, better save room for dessert because the crème brulee, one-pound slice of praline cheesecake or key-lime pie will beckon you.

Lagniappe is the Cajun word for “a little something extra,” which is what you’re sure to find at Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen this weekend.