Whether it’s crawfish bread at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival or fried oysters at your favorite restaurant, New Orleanians know their seafood. So, it’s no surprise that we ace it when it comes to the season of Lent. It’s of course technically a Catholic holiday, but no matter what your religious affiliation, this season gives New Orleanians the opportunity to overindulge in their favorite seafood dishes.
We often write about date ideas on “Let Them Eat Cake” because the past year has been difficult with the coronavirus pandemic and sometimes you just need a date night with your future Mr. or Mrs. Lucky for all of us, several New Orleans restaurants are helping us combine date night ideas with the Lenten seafood surge.
In a partnership with Louisiana Hospitality Foundation and United Way of Southeast Louisiana, Fish Fry Fridays are now celebrated in 39 restaurants around the city. Each Friday, you can visit or get takeout from one of the participating restaurants (some even deliver) and they will donate a portion from the sales of their fish fry entrees, which in turn benefits Hospitality Cares. Hospitality Cares is a crisis grant program that offers resources like counseling, emergency financial assistance and legal aid to individuals working in the hospitality industry, which has been hard hit since the start of the pandemic. According to a press release about Fish Fry Fridays, the grants award up to $2,500 to eligible employees at hospitality businesses running active United Way workplace campaigns in Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa and Washington parishes.
This means you and your honey can plan for a date night each Friday during Lent and know that you’re love of fried seafood will go to help those working in the hospitality industry.
Get to planning your date nights by clicking here to see the restaurant specials and below for a list of participating restaurants.
For more information on the Hospitality Cares program, visit fishfryfridays.org.
2021 RESTAURANT PARTICIPANTS:
A Tavola | Restaurant & Wine Bar
Annunciation Restaurant
Avenue Pub
Blue Oak BBQ
Boulevard American Bistro (Harahan & Veterans)
Broussard’s
Brown Butter Southern Kitchen & Bar
Carmo
Casa Borrega
Chef Ron’s Gumbo Stop
The Court of Two Sisters
Effervescence bubbles & bites
Francesca
Galatoire’s
Gattuso’s Neighborhood Restaurant, Bar & Catering
Grand Isle Restaurant
The Grill Room at Windsor Court
GW Fins
Katie’s Restaurant
La Petite Grocery
Lula Restaurant Distillery
Ma Momma’s House of Cornbread Chicken & Waffles (Pythian Market)
Mahony’s Po-Boy’s & Seafood
Muriel’s Jackson Square
NOLA Caye
NOLA Geauxst Kitchen at Dixie Taverne
Pêche Seafood Grill
Picnic Provisions & Whiskey
Pyre Provisions
Ralph’s on the Park
Red Fish Grill
Red Gravy Cafe
Rosedale Restaurant
Rosemary & Roux
Ruby Slipper – all Louisiana locations
Saba Restaurant
Tommy’s Cuisine
Toups’ Meatery
Tsunami
