STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Pre-Lenten parties will be missed this year by Staten Islanders who relish their fetes — Carnevale, Mardi Gras and Fat Tuesday. This year on Tuesday, Feb. 16 in these COVID-19 times find a toned-down selection of seasonal eats on Staten Island.
1. KING CAKE
For this coming Tuesday -- the famed King Cake. With Epiphany in mind, Mardi Gras translates the concept into a purple, green and gold hued creation baked with a plastic baby Jesus (or bean), explains Dr. Adrienne Ferretti of Grasmere. She is a fan of Mardi Gras who has family in New Orleans and normally bakes for friends.
She says, “If you get the figure in your slice of cake then you can be ‘King’ or ‘Queen’ for the day.” And Ferretti notes that the prize also gets you the privilege of buying the cake for guests next year.
Alfonso’s in Castleton Corners will offer the King Cake over the weekend and on Tuesday for $9.75 — Alfonsospastries.com.
Mark’s Bake Shoppe in Richmond (MarksBakeShoppe.com) presents for the first time a Mardi Gras Cupcake with bourbon-infused buttercream.
2. DOUGHNUTS AND DONUT-LIKE TREATS
Other treats of the season include donuts of a variety of cultures. Holtermann’s Bakery in Great Kills puts out paczi, a double-stuffed ball of fried dough with raspberry, custard, prune, lemon or apricot filling.
On a day called “Fat Thursday” (Feb. 11) a few congregants of St. Stanislaus Kostka R.C. Church in New Brighton came together to make a similar doughnut. Find these sugar-dusted, jelly-stuffed confections at Polish stores like Polish Delicious in Bulls Head (Polish-specialties.business.site) and the Polish-European American Deli in West Brighton (Polish-european-american-deli-me-inc.business.site.)
Bruno’s NYC Bakery in Dongan Hills and West Brighton will sell chiacchiere again this year. Master baker Biagio Settepani said, “We make the fried dough with powdered sugar on it. In Italy on this day they do a lot of fried zeppole — street fair types — filled with different fillings, similar to fried beignets but it’s not popular in New York.”
Zeppoli fresh from the fryer at Gennaro's, Dongan Hills (Staten Island Advance/Pamela Silvestri)
3. SAVORY FEASTS
Bayou in Rosebank (BayouNYC.com) has a number of specials. The Crawfish Boil for $16.95 features whole crawfish sauteed in a marsala sherry wine sauce with garlic, onions, celery, and corn on the cob. Oysters Rockefeller are offered for $18.95 along with a Jerk Chicken Pinwheel for Cajun Ratatouille, both $14.95. Seafood Gumbo is a treat at $12.
West Brighton’s Jimmy Collins is a fan of Bayou. He says musts on the menu are ‘Nawlins chicken with its andouille sausage, chicken and spinach mix. For appetizers, he always picks the Crawfish Nachos and Alligator Bits. And if you miss your dose of Mardi Gras on the actual day, keep in mind the $35 three-course Creole-themed meals offered from Monday to Thursday at the restaurant.
Brioso of New Dorp (Briosorestaurants.com) will forgo its usual Carnevale on Feb. 16. (It is open for sit-down service but with the regular menu in place.)
Italianissimo of South Beach (Italianissimony.com) will continue with its yearly ritual. For Fat Tuesday, Chef Franco Ortega offers a $48 package for pickup, delivery and limited dine-in service. On the appetizer options are prosciutto di Parma with fresh burrata cheese, Spanish octopus with pancetta over French bean salad, shrimp and clams served New Orleans-style and lamb chops with balsamic mint jelly demi-glace. Mains range from pork, prime rib for two, veal and braised short ribs. Italian cheesecake with mixed berry spread is for dessert.
4. FAST FOOD FOR THE OCCASION
And considering the Louisiana connection with Mardi Gras — the chain was established in 1972 in New Orleans — a Popeye’s has arrived at the corner of Hylan Boulevard and New Dorp Lane. In its inaugural days, it’s been so busy that the store has run out of sides by early evening, according to readers who corresponded with the Advance. One of Popeye’s draws has been the $3.99 crispy chicken sandwich with mayo and sliced pickles. With some colorful beads and celebratory beverages on hand, it might be among the most decadent ways to slide into Lent.
Did we miss your favorite pre-Lenten treat? Reach out! Pamela Silvestri is Advance Food Editor. She can be reached at silvestri@siadvance.com.
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February 12, 2021 at 05:19AM
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Mardis Gras, Carnavale and Fat Tuesday on S.I. — 4 yummy ways to celebrate pre-Lenten traditions - SILive.com
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