Davenport, Iowa (February 11, 2015) - Grab your beads and get your taste buds ready because the taste of New Orleans is coming to the Figge Art Museum for the annual Mardi Gras Rajun Cajun Fest on Fat Tuesday, February 17, sponsored by KWQC-TV.
Chefs from 10 Quad-City area restaurants will set up in the lobby of the museum from 5:30 - 8 p.m. where they will cook Cajun-inspired dishes for guests to sample. Participating chefs from the Figge, Machine Shed, Crow Valley Country Club, Sippi's, Johnny's Italian Steakhouse, Paddle Wheel, Thunder Bay, Gramma's Kitchen, The J Bar and Zeke's Island Café will show off their culinary skills and entice guests with their delicious creations.
The dishes of the evening will include chicken and sausage etouffee with Zeke's dirty rice, blackened chicken alfredo with seasoned vegetables, saffron chili shrimp, andouille corn fritters, red bean puree & trinity sauce, spicy Cajun pulled pork topped with a BBQnaise cole slaw, seafood court bouillon with Cajun dirty rice, grilled banana cake with rum sauce, Cajun duck savage over green onion grits, crispy Cajun grilled cheese with smoky tomato soup, bourbon maple ice cream, blackened prime rib agrodolce on a open faced crostini with Cajun demi cream, Cajun chicken nachos topped with spicy giardiniera and pralines, andouille stuffed, blackened seared scallops over Cajun quinoa salad, bananas foster bread pudding topped with salted caramel sauce, bruleed bananas, and served with bourbon ice cream and boudin balls with a trio of spicy dipping sauces.
Guests are invited to get into the Mardi Gras spirit by tasting each flavorful dish, participating in a make-your-own Mardi Gras mask art activity, having their photo taken in the Mardi Gras themed photo area, partaking in a cash bar with a "Bertha Blues" specialty drink and casting votes for their favorite chef of the evening. The winning chef will receive a People's Choice plaque and bragging rights.
Dorrell Wenninger, the new weekend meteorologist at KWQC-TV who recently moved from Louisiana, will MC for the evening. "This will be the first year we are incorporating an MC and we cannot think of anyone more fitting than Dorrell," said Natalie Dunlop, Figge Marketing Coordinator.
This is the third year the Figge has hosted this event and all proceeds will benefit the museum's art education outreach programs to thousands of area students. Visit www.figgeartmuseum.org to purchase advance tickets for $25. Tickets the day of the event and at the door will be $30.
About the Figge Art Museum
The Figge Art Museum is located on the riverfront in downtown Davenport at 225 West Second Street. Hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday and Sundays noon to 5 p.m. Thursdays the museum is open until 9 p.m. Admission to the museum and tour is $7. Admission is free to Figge members and institutional members, and free to all on Thursday evenings from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. To contact the museum, please call 563.326.7804, or visit www.figgeartmuseum.org.
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