Kate Krader (@kkrader on Twitter) is Food & Wine's restaurant editor. When she tells us where to find our culinary heart's desire, we listen up.

Mardi Gras: those two words might make you think "No way!" Or it might make you scream, "No limits!"

If you fall somewhere in the middle - if you want to drink some Hurricanes or Abitas, and wear some beads but keep your shirt on - and can’t make it to New Orleans for the parades, here are a few places around the country that might almost make you feel that you’re there. And hopefully not worry about finding a clean bathroom.

Heaven on Seven - Chicago, Illinois
At his 30-year-old-restaurant in Chicago, which now has three locations, Jimmy Bannos Sr. turns out remarkable Cajun food; training with legendary New Orleans chefs Emeril Lagasse and Paul Prudhomme will do that for your cooking. Bannos’s cookbook, "Heaven on Seven: Where It’s Mardi Gras All the Time!" makes you think it’s going to get a little crazy on Fat Tuesday. Especially when you see the cover photo of Bannos with more beads than I would have thought humanly possible.

The Gumbo Pot - Los Angeles, California
Basically every New Orleans-style dish you could want, the Gumbo Pot has got. The huge menu has a New Orleans Favorites section with classics like jambalaya, red beans & rice, 13 different po' boys as well as muffulettas; there’s also meatloaf and frog legs and traditional or chocolate beignets, served with chicory coffee. There’s a brand new location on Hollywood but the annual Mardi Gras party with zydeco music and parades takes place at the Farmer's Market at 3rd & Fairfax.

Bayou Bakery - Arlington, Virginia
David Guas is an New Orleans native and at Bayou Bakery, he takes his heritage seriously. On Mardi Gras Eve, he’s hosting a dinner with a jazz quartet playing (dancing!). “Beads and cups are yours to keep, costumes optional, and a Bourbon Street attitude necessary,” says the website.

Fat Tuesday will feature parade-route fare including: crawfish etouffée, crab boil peppa weenies, Bayou Bakery’s outstanding cream cheese-stuffed King Cakes and cups of Rebirth Punch.

Sugar Freak - Astoria, New York
This new spot in Queens checks off the greatest hits of Louisiana from boudin balls to muffuletta, served whole or "nice half." Around this time of year, you’ll see specials like any po' boy plus any Abita beer. They serve the Purple Haze, Turbo Dog, Amber, IPA or the root beer, which is terrific, for $15.

Miss D's New Orleans Pralines - Atlanta, Georgia
If you’re in Atlanta and wanting to celebrate Mardi Gras with some pralines rather than a parade cup filled with Southern Comfort, then you should go to Sweet Auburn Curb Market. Miss D uses an authentic New Orleans recipe and Georgia pecans to make her terrific candies. She also has some amazing, New Orleans-inspired popcorns, like Cajun Fried Pickle, Banana Caramel and Jalapeno.

Louisiana’s Premier Craft Beer Ready For Mardi Gras

(New Orleans) The Abita Brewing Company is pleased to announce the debut of three of its flagship brews in cans:  Amber, Purple Haze® and Jockamo I.P.A.® The Abita cans will appear in stores, restaurants and bars in the New Orleans area Monday, February 6 and with wider distribution across the region and the nation to follow. 

Consumers can get a sneak peek at the new Abita cans at a Pub Crawl scheduled for Friday, February 3 at 6P.M. in New Orleans.  Participation in the Pub Crawl is free, but registration is required.  Abita fans can get all the details and pre-register online at abita.com

Abita Goes Where You Go

“We’re very excited about this launch.  Now our customers can take Abita to the places we love in Louisiana where glass might not be convenient or allowed...parades, fishing, tubing, golfing or the beach,” said David Blossman, Abita Brewing Company President . “We’ve made it even easier to bring Abita to the party, wherever it’s happening.” 

“For many years people associated craft beer with glass bottles only,  but the perception and the technology of the aluminum beverage can has really changed. We feel confident that today’s cans are a quality solution that will preserve and protect the flavor of Abita,”  said Blossman.

The new Abita cans will be coated with a special water-based lining to protect and preserve the great taste of the beer.  This lining insulates the beer from the can’s interior surface.  Canning also limits exposure to UV light and oxygen, two elements that can damage the taste of beer. 

Abita will continue packaging in glass just as they have since they began brewing in 1986.

About The Abita Brewing Company

The Abita Brewing Company was founded in Abita Springs, Louisiana in 1986 and is the
oldest and largest craft brewer in the southeast. Abita is the 30th largest commercial brewer by production volume in the nation and the 17th largest craft brewer in the United States.  Sales for the brewery were 125,400 barrels last year.

Abita Brewing Company produces seven flagship brews year-round:  Abita Amber, Golden, Light, Turbodog®, Purple Haze®, Jockamo I.P.A.® and Restoration Pale Ale®.  Abita also offers five seasonal beers, three Harvest brews, three Big Beers and a draft-only series of Select beers.

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Download high res images of the new Abita Beer Cans here

Twenty five years ago in downtown Abita Springs, a small southern town just north of New Orleans, a beer was born.  This high quality craft brew was made with all natural ingredients and Abita Springs’ famous artesian water.  Today, just a mile and a half from the original location, the Abita Brewing Company has become the oldest and largest craft brewer in the southeast.  

From a humble beginning of just 1,500 barrels of beer in 1986, brewing for Abita should exceed 130,000 barrels in 2011.  Abita Golden and Amber were the original beers produced by Louisiana’s first craft brewery.  Now the Abita Brewing Company produces seven year-round flagship brews, five seasonal beers, three Harvest brews, four Big Beers,  a draft-only series of Select beers and a root beer all from a state-of-the-art brewing complex. 

Introducing 25th Anniversary Vanilla Doubledog

To mark this wonderful milestone, Abita Brewing Company has created a special commemorative brew, 25th Anniversary Vanilla Doubledog.  The robust dark ale has flavors of chocolate, toffee and vanilla.  It is brewed with generous amounts of pale, caramel and chocolate malts and Willamette hops.  Whole natural vanilla beans are added during the aging process.  25th Anniversary Vanilla Doubledog is packaged in a commemorative, 22-ounce anniversary bottle illustrated with a design inspired by classic New Orleans wrought iron.  The Doubledog brew is a tribute to Abita’s Turbodog, which was originally created as an anniversary beer in 1989.  Today, Turbodog is an Abita Flagship brew and sold year-round.

History of the Abita Brewing Company

The brewery was founded in 1986, but Abita Beer was not available in bottles until 1989.  In 1994, the brewery moved to the site of their current operations on Highway 36.  Just two years later, in 1996, Abita’s production had more than doubled, reaching 33,000 barrels annually. 

Twenty-five years later, the company continues to grow.  In 2012 Abita Beer will introduce Abita in cans for the very first time.  Abita is the 24th largest commercial brewer by production volume in the nation and the 15th largest craft brewer in the United States.

Brewed Locally, Loved Nationally

From its small beginning in Abita Springs, the popularity of this Louisiana brew has grown and today Abita Beer is sold in 46 states and Puerto Rico.  Abita is a favorite of chefs across the country and is enjoyed on-screen in the popular HBO programs Treme and True Blood.

Abita Brewing Company produces seven flagship brews year-round:  Abita Amber, Golden, Light, Turbodog, Purple Haze, Jockamo I.P.A. and Restoration Pale Ale. 

pdf image of 25th Anniversary Doubledog

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Folks could come out to the Baton Rouge River Center and enjoy samples of domestic, home-brewed, and imported Beer.

All the proceeds went to the Dreams Come True Foundation, a non-profit organization devoted to granting sick children their lifetime wish.

Abita Brewing Company Tasting Room & Tour
166 Barbee Rd.
Abita Springs, LA

The Abita Brewing Company Visitor’s center was opened in 2008, the old brewery now houses the Abita Brew Pub. They even have their own cookbook called Abita Beer: Cooking Louisiana True

Upon arriving at the brewery I quickly pulled into a parking spot, and hustled up to the front of the visitor’s center:

From Abita Brewery – Abita Springs, Louisiana

I bellied up to the end of a group which was just entering and noticed that everyone was wearing wrist bands, so I stepped back and approached the guy at the door clutching a $20 bill in my hand.

“How much is the tour?” I asked.

“$20 bucks” he replied “You’ve got just enough!” then put his hand out. As I reached to hand him my dough he broke out into a wild cackle that would have made a Hyena blush, then slapped me on the back. Crack!

“This is free man!! You’re just in time! Here’s a wristband and a cup, have a good time!” Another friendly slap on the back and off I went, entering the Abita Brewery visitors center tasting room which wins the 2011 NOLA CUISINE award for Best Place to get Drunk for Free! Not a really a real award, mind you, but if I had one, Abita would win it, hands down!

By the way, don’t be a stooge like me and go here alone, I could only sample as I had to drive into New Orleans. Best to find some other stooge to drive you so that you can truly partake in this excellent, rare, FREE beer drinking opportunity!

Also, please forgive me for the less than crisp photography on this post, but please note: All photos were taken while holding an ice cold cup of Abita beer…I know my priorities.

The visitors center is wonderfully decorated with art work on the walls representing many of your favorite or soon to be favorite Abita beers, Purple Haze:

From Abita Brewery – Abita Springs, Louisiana

My old standby Abita Amber:

From Abita Brewery – Abita Springs, Louisiana

One of my new favorites Jockamo IPA:

From Abita Brewery – Abita Springs, Louisiana

Now, I’m not going to lie, the artwork wasn’t the first thing that I noticed upon entering the tasting room, it was the line of fellow guests lining up behind the Mahogany bar to fill up their cups from one of 15 tappers of different Abita Beers. As much as they wanted, as many different kinds as they would like to try…all for free. In essence, a beer drinker’s bliss.

From Abita Brewery – Abita Springs, Louisiana

From Abita Brewery – Abita Springs, Louisiana

The atmosphere is ultra relaxed, everyone just hanging out meeting some new people, drinking some great beer, playing a game of ring toss:

From Abita Brewery – Abita Springs, Louisiana

After about 15-20 minutes of hanging out sampling the wares, the tour begins with a video. The crowd mostly ignores the video, then the tappers are cut off to focus attention onto the tour into the brewery which is about 10 minutes long.

From Abita Brewery – Abita Springs, Louisiana

It is quite loud in the cellar, and folks tended to keep talking while our tour guide was talking, which made it very hard to hear. Understandable I guess, free beer tends to make people chatter. I only caught snippets of the dialogue as I was standing in the back, fortunately for those of us that were interested, the information is available online here.

Here are some pics from inside the Cellar:

From Abita Brewery – Abita Springs, Louisiana

From Abita Brewery – Abita Springs, Louisiana

Booties must be worn if wearing open toed shoes:

From Abita Brewery – Abita Springs, Louisiana

After the tour, the group returned to the tasting room for you guessed it, more free beer. More hanging out, relaxing, enjoying.

From Abita Brewery – Abita Springs, Louisiana

From Abita Brewery – Abita Springs, Louisiana

From Abita Brewery – Abita Springs, Louisiana

My visit finished early as I had to drive, and was looking forward to a long afternoon, and even longer evening in New Orleans. I jumped in my rental and made my way for the Ponchartrain causeway, which is 23.83 miles directly across Lake Pontchartrain into New Orleans!

Next up Radosta’s for an excellent cup of Gumbo and a Roast Beef Po Boy.

Be sure and check out my ever growing Index of Creole & Cajun Recipes which provides links to all of the recipes featured on Nola Cuisine!

Read the article on-line here