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The stars have aligned this year to have Lunar New Year and Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday fall on the same day, February 17. That means Chicagoans will be forgetting the first cold, snowy winter in a few years by feasting on everything from New Orleans’ iced king cake to the Chinese glutinous rice cake nin gou. In this heavily Polish city, of course, Mardi Gras is popularly known as Pączki Day, in honor of the filled doughnuts traditionally made to use up fat before the Christian period of fasting known as Lent. There’s even a contest for “Chicagoland’s favorite pączki” happening now, whose winner will be announced at Marz Brewery during their annual Pączki Fest on February 15. (The Muslim Ramadan also happens to start on the same day as Lent this year.)
Traditionally, Catholics don’t eat meat during Lent (“Carnival,” as the Mardi Gras period is known, comes from the Italian for “remove meat”), so there are also some savory indulgences to be had on Fat Tuesday, especially from places like Spoken Cafe that are celebrating in Louisiana style. So let your inner glutton loose with our list of Chicago area spots offering Fat Tuesday treats, and don’t worry; there are always fish fries to enjoy in the following weeks of continuing winter…