It’s about that time of year again when Philadelphians can let the good times roll with the Mardi Gras pop-up at Craftsman Row Saloon.
The annual activation opened up a few weeks ago, and will be on-site at the hotspot until the end of this month (Feb. 24). The pop-up has been extended this year by brother-and-sister restaurateurs and co-owners George and Vasiliki Tsiouris by popular demand, and they say 2024 will be the most spirited year yet.
“We are excited to bring our Mardi Gras Pop-Up Experience back to Philadelphia,” said Vasiliki Tsiouris in a statement. “You can be the King of Bourbon Street with our over-the-top milkshake with real King Cake. It was great to bring the spirit of Bourbon Street and The Big Easy first to the scene and we have added more this year, all geared to totally envelope the senses with the sights, sounds and tastes of Mardi Gras.”
So what can you expect while dining at Craftsman Row this month? The bar will be pouring out festive Bourbon Street inspired specialty cocktails, while the kitchen will also bring back some Big Easy favorites along with some new additions, like Po Boys, Donut Bread Pudding, Crawfish Mac N Cheese, a Big Easy Burger, Jambalaya and more.
Highlights include the Muffaletta (a South Philly hoagie made with olive tapenade, onions and jambalaya), the Big Easy Burger (made with a smash patty, hot sausage patty, creole fried shrimp, french fries, American cheese, sauteed onions and remoulade), Shrimp Po Boy (served with lettuce, tomato, pickle, coleslaw, spicy remoulade and a Leidenheimer roll) and the King of Bourbon Street Milkshake (made with Bassetts vanilla ice cream, a king cake crumble, cinnamon, and caramel then topped with drizzle beads and festive sprinkles.) A boozy option also available for the shake.
Speaking of spirited drinks, the cocktail menu for the Mardi Gras pop-up will span the Sazerac (rye whiskey, peyhaud’s bitters and donut simple syrup), Coffee and Beignets (vodka, kahlua, crème de cacao, buttershots and espresso), Hurricane (muddled cucumber, Pimm’s No.1 Liquor, lemon and ginger beer), Spicy Pimms Cup (light rum, meyer’s dark rum, grenadine, orange juice and lime juice in a keepsake mask), and more.
Co-owner George Tsiouris added in a statement, “The countdown to Fat Tuesday is on and we are gearing up for more fun and something truly special. We can’t wait to welcome everyone back for this year’s edition. After our most successful year ever for our Christmas Pop-Up, we wanted to continue the fun with something truly special and extravagant. We went even more over the top — this is the most elaborate and the most decor we have ever done for Mari Gras — we hope everyone enjoys this year’s experience.”
As the release notes, all of the themed menu items will be available on the full larger menu of “comfort food staples” with all of Craftsman Row Saloon’s other dishes that include Dorito coated mozzarella sticks, award-winning burgers, and buffalo mac-n-cheese loaded fries. The owners recommend also trying the Donut Fried Chicken with a glazed donut, bacon, American cheese and maple syrup, and the Mac Daddy Burger with smashed patties smothered and dripping with mac and cheese on a martin’s potato roll to pair with the shakes.
The Craftsman Row Saloon Mardi Gras Pop-up Bar Experience is open Tuesday through Thursday from 4 to 11 p.m. (kitchen closes at 10 p.m.), Friday and Saturday from noon to midnight (kitchen closes at 11 p.m.), and Sunday from noon to 11 p.m. (kitchen closes at 10 p.m.) For more information on the venue (112 S 8th St.,) visit craftsmanrowsaloon.com
