MARDI GRAS GRILL
Downtown restaurant delivers southern food meant to stick to your ribs and warm your soul.
There’s something about Southern food that has a warm, comforting appeal. I might have also watched Fried Green Tomatoes a lot when I was a kid.
Barbecue, po’ boys, jambalaya, fried chicken, grits, jumbo shrimp and, of course, fried green tomatoes are meant to stick to your ribs and warm your soul. Given winter’s impending cold front that will swoop in and not leave for six months, it’s good to know you don’t have to rush to New Orleans to get a good taste of the south in Saskatoon, thanks to Mardi Gras Grill.
Situated on busy Idylwyld Drive, the family owned restaurant, which specializes in Cajun Creole cuisine, has been open since May 2012. It’s a cozy space, with colourful Mardi Gras-themed murals brightening the brick walls. Lilting zydeco music was the background soundtrack, setting the mood for a fun night.
My dining partner and I settled into a brown leather booth and took our time getting to know the menu. It has some items that will definitely stand out, such as Fried Alligator ($15). On a previous visit, I tried these bits of gator, only then they were actually crocodile (alligator is sometimes hard to get shipped up to Canada), but they tasted like moist, boneless ribs. Dipped in a spicy mustard sauce, they were delicious.
If you love oysters, Mardi Gras will make you happy. Prepared either cold and on the half shell, or baked three different ways, be sure to ask about market price and availability. There are po’ boy sandwiches ($15-19) — those crusty loaves filled with seafood or meat — which originated in New Orleans around 1930. If you’re after a burger, the choices are the 8-oz beef with a bourbon glaze ($15), buttermilk fried chicken ($16), and the crispy catfish ($17). We can’t talk about Southern food and not talk fried chicken. At Mardi Gras, you can have the Chicken and Waffle, with corn on the cob and whisky syrup ($13) or the Southern Fried Chicken Dinner, which has macaroni and cheese, hush puppies along for the ride ($23).
Speaking of dinner, you can also order the Crawfish Boil — a bucket of spicy peel and eat crawfish, shrimp, Andouille sausage and baby potatoes and corn, for $21. Sounds like a party, right there.
Other entrees include the Blackened Shrimp and Cajun Jambalaya ($21), Seafood Etouffee ($23), Shrimp and Grits Napoleon ($19), and a rack of BBQ ribs ($19 half, $27 full). The latter comes smothered in a smoky BBQ sauce, with hot buttered corn on the cob and thick cut onion rings. We had our work cut out for us when it came to decision time.
It’s always exciting to try food I’ve never seen on menus before. Alas, the Boudin Balls ($11) got the feast started. A mixture of ground beef, pork, rice, onions, peppers and other tasty seasonings, shaped into — you guessed it — balls and coated in a crumb mixture. Deep fried until golden and served with a spicy Bechamel sauce, I would have been satisfied eating a plate of these all night. Super flavourful, with just the right amount of heat to dance around your mouth.
My dining companion is crazy about fish, so she opted for the Catfish Po’ boy. I stole a bit of the fish and was pleased with the taste and crunch factor. Mardi Gras has the catfish flown in overnight and you can taste the freshness. As for the sandwich, it was described as quite good, with the bread being fresh and crusty and the generous fish serving quite appreciated. The only drawback was she wanted a bit more sauce and pickles tucked inside the sandwich.
We shared the jambalaya, and the generous serving was again appreciated. Very well seasoned, and at a middle of the road spice level (if you want more, there are bottles of various hot sauces on the table), it was bursting with Andouille sausage, blackened shrimp and grilled chicken. Mardi Gras does not scrimp on the protein, that’s for sure. I tucked into it heartily, and have to say it’s one of the best plates of jambalaya I’ve had. The rice was cooked perfectly, it had good layers of flavour, and again, I was happy with all of the meat inside.
The final dish of the night was the shrimp and grits. Again, a gigantic portion of creamy grits, fried green tomatoes and Jumbo with a capital J shrimp. The baby spinach as garnish was a bit unnecessary, and given my intolerance I just picked it off to get to the good stuff. Grits may be an acquired taste. Made from stoneground corn and similar to Italian polenta, they run on the mushy side of the texture spectrum, but I’m a fan. Mardi Gras’ version is creamy, with smoked cheddar and onion and perfect for swooping a crispy bit of fried green tomato in. My only quibble is that I would have appreciated a lighter hand with the salt, but other than that my grits craving was satisfied.
Believe me when I tell you there was no room for dessert, but there is a piece of sweet potato pie with my name on it for when I return.
Mardi Gras Grill is located at 239 Idylwyld Dr. South. Phone 306-3821795. Open Tuesday to Wednesday noon to 9 p.m., Thursday to Saturday noon to 10 p.m. Closed Sunday and Monday. Renee blogs at www.sweetsugarbean.com and can be found on
Twitter @sweetsugarbean_.