Raise a glass for these Mardi Gras specials

Tuesday is Mardi Gras, which translates from French to “fat Tuesday.” The name stems from the tradition of having a last hurrah of rich foods before the beginning of Lent the following day. Las Vegas always loves an opportunity to party, and resorts and restaurants are planning celebrations for the day.

— At The Orleans, where a Dixieland band will play throughout the casino and Mardi Gras beads will be handed out from 2 to 8 p.m., hurricane drinks will be available for $9 with a souvenir cup, or $5 without. The resort’s Medley Buffet will serve traditional Mardi Gras cuisine during lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and dinner from 4 to 8 p.m. Dishes will include jambalaya, chicken gumbo, seafood etouffee, crawfish, red beans and rice, shrimp Creole, muffalettas, beignets and King Cake. And its Bailiwick All American Pub + Eatery will serve a red beans and rice special for $5, select beers for $3 and King Cake.

— Honey Salt will celebrate with a menu that includes fried green tomatoes, crab hush puppies, shrimp and chicken gumbo, Cajun blackened redfish, jambalaya, beignets and more. It’s $59, with wine pairings $25. 1031 S. Rampart Blvd., honeysalt.com for reservations.

— Cornerstone Classic American Steakhouse at the Gold Coast will host a Mardi Gras social from 5 to 7 p.m. in its lounge. It’s $30 (half price for women) and will include New Orleans-themed cocktails such as the hurricane and Sazerac, and bites such as crab cake sliders and chicken gumbo. Seating will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

— Marche Bacchus, 2620 Regatta Drive, will serve New Orleans-themed specials from 4 to 9 p.m.: Oysters Rockefeller, chicken and andouille sausage gumbo, jambalaya, crawfish etouffee, shrimp boil and King Cake. The restaurant also will serve hurricane cocktails and have a Mardi Gras mask contest.

— Downtown Container Park will have a weekendlong celebration from Friday through Tuesday. Specials will include $8 Appleton Rum F’roses at the Downtown Terrace, $10 Jack Daniel’s Rye Tais at Oak & Ivy, $10 Cajun chicken wings at Big Ern’s BBQ, $8.99 10-inch Buffalo chicken pizzas at Pizza Zazza and Louisiana-style jambalaya from Simply Pure.

— Therapy, 518 E. Fremont St., will celebrate with the Hand Grenade, a five-ingredient cocktail colored a festive green. It’ll be $10 and available from Friday through Tuesday.

— New Orleans-based District Donuts. Sliders. Brew. at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas will feature the King Cake Donut, a brioche-style confection with cardamom cream cheese filling and topped with orange-spiked royal icing and Mardi Gras requisites: purple, green and gold sugar and a plastic baby. They’re $4.50 each and are available now through Tuesday.

— Insomnia Cookies, 4480 Paradise Road, is offering $3 off the Sugar Rush box, in-store and online, no coupon required and no limit. The customizable box, regularly priced at $30, contains a dozen cookies. Pick-up is available until 3 a.m., with delivery until 2:45 a.m.

— Carnival is the Brazilian equivalent to Mardi Gras, and Via Brasil Steakhouse, 1225 S. Fort Apache Road, will celebrate with its annual Carnival Party from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, with samba dancers and Brazilian food; the rodizio Sterling Dinner will be $51.99, salad bar alone $25.99.

Contact Heidi Knapp Rinella at hrinella@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0474. Follow @HKRinella on Twitter.