Beads, beats, and business: Mardi Gras at Momma Pearl’s
(COLORADO SPRINGS) — Combining the soulful melodies of jazz with the delectable delights of authentic ‘Nawlins’ cuisine, Momma Pearl’s Cajun Kitchen united hearts and palates during their Mardi Gras celebration on Tuesday, Feb. 13.
“This is our biggest day of the year,” said Co-Owner of Momma Pearl’s Cajun Kitchen, Becky Brunet. “We don’t have Cinco de Mayo or any of those other holidays. This is ours, so we are super excited.”
Resembling the vibrant spirit of New Orleans, the restaurant shimmered with the iconic colors of purple, green and gold, adorned with beads draped over chairs and king cakes awaiting pickup by customers. While the owners no longer live down south, it doesn’t stop them from bringing the Mardi Gras magic to the Pikes Peak Region.
“Fat Tuesday is the culmination of the carnivale season, it ends today,” Brunet said. “Everybody comes together. We do carnivale down in New Orleans, we do carnivale down in Florida, we do carnivale wherever they want to do carnivale.”
The sizzles of fried delights along with the rich aromas of gumbo fill the kitchen air as signature Fat Tuesday delicacies are served up to eager and hungry customers.
During the lunch rush, the kitchen crew remains dedicated to bringing the vibrant flavors of Mardi Gras to life in each dish. Robert Brunet, also known as Chef BB, leads the kitchen team as the executive chef and is Becky Brunet’s husband.
“We’ll probably have over 200 people come by today and we’ve got enough food for them,” said Chef BB. “We just got to keep pedaling as fast as we can because everybody’s coming hungry. They’re ready to have a great time, and we’re more than happy to welcome.”
As noon approached, seats throughout the restaurant quickly filled up as customers ordered staple Fat Tuesday dishes, all while also enjoying the live music. For some, indulging in a signature cocktail added an extra layer of enjoyment to the festivities.
“We have a wonderful Mardi Gras cocktail that we’re offering today, and we are doing all of our specials on our drinks,” Brunet said. “Of course, we do everything from a Vieux Carré to a Hurricane.”
Despite being states away from the grand celebration, Chef BB is still deeply connected to the nostalgia of childhood memories and traditions, which keep the spirit of the day alive.
“My earliest memories are going down on Saint Charles Avenue, getting up at 4:00 in the morning on Mardi Gras day and sitting on Saint Charles Avenue and watching the parades go by all day long,” said Chef BB.
As staff members take down numerous orders, and the lively tunes of jazz fill the atmosphere, there’s no doubt that while this may be the busiest day of the year, it’s also destined to be filled with cherished memories.
“A ton of sales, a ton of people, and it’ll be our biggest sales day of the year,” Brunet said. “All of our friends, all of the people that we’ve come to know in the community that come to visit and come back every year and spend this day with us and celebrate.”
The southern hospitality and culinary delights persist as the restaurant transitions from Mardi Gras colors to hues of red and pink for Valentine’s Day. Each weekend, they bring Cajun delights through a traditional crawfish boil with live music. Details can be found here.
“We’ve got a great menu for tomorrow for Valentine’s Day, too,” said Chef BB. “So, it’s really everybody’s got their own taste, whether it’s fork food or finger food and we always make more than enough, so nobody goes home hungry from Momma Pearl’s.”
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX21 News Colorado.
