Let the good times roll

Celebrate Mardi Gras in Littleton March 4 and 5 — Fat Friday and Saturday, according to event organizer Greg Reinke.

Ten area bars and restaurants will be serving live music, some will dish Creole foods and all will be stocked by Reinke Brothers with a supply of beads and masks.

While it’s not the first year for this event, Bob Mickus, owner of Delizios at 2299 W. Main St., is participating for the first time. He’ll add spicy Andouille sausage with red beans and rice and Jambalaya to his diverse menu and host musicians both nights: Vinyl Groove with light jazz on Friday and Michael Strapelli on Saturday.

Delizios grew out of a cookie business, Beautiful Sweets, which Mickus owns and operates near Federal and Belleview. It has walk-in coolers and larger cooking facilities, where prep work for Delizios happens. He originally envisioned a place “for a bakery and cookie shop.” But he is interested in wine (he makes it at home) and added that to the mix, then the menu expanded. The demand for his carefully-presented food has grown, so it’s a blend after 11 months: coffee, pastries, wines, tapas, sandwiches, salads and dinner entrees.

“We have become much more of a café than we expected,” he said.

His clientele is about 95 percent women and he appreciates events such as Mardi Gras that bring in new customers.

Romano’s Italian Restaurant at 5666 S. Windermere St. will serve crawfish pasts, jambalaya and gumbo and will feature the Bon Tee Cajun Band from 7 to 9 p.m. both nights. (A dinner reservation is suggested, 303-798-4944).

McKinner’s Pizza Bar at 2389 W. Main St. will offer Cajun pizza, of course, plus Andouille sausage and black bean chili. On Friday, sixtysixdays will play and on Saturday, Junck.

Pat’s Philly Steaks and Subs at 1500 W. Littleton Blvd. will sell shrimp po’ boys and offer N’Oleans style Hurricanes. The Seth Taylor Band will play both nights.

The Platte River Bar and Grill at 5995 Santa Fe Drive features music by Colfax and Wadsworth on Friday evening and the Red and Bill Band on Saturday.

Ned Kelly’s Irish Bar at 5686 S. Sycamore St. will serve Cajun shrimp. The Friday night entertainment is TBA, while Vagrant will play on Saturday.

Karma Bar and Tapas, 5654 S. Prince St. offers crawfish etouffe and plans to have music (TBA).

Jose’s Mexican Restaurant, 2420 W. Main St. will cook up a pot of gumbo and present the Freddy Cotton Band both nights.

Olde Town Tavern, 2410 W. Main St. will serve catfish po’ boys, catfish baskets, chicken and sausage gumbo. On Friday, the FTP Band will play and Karmakaze on Saturday.

Merle’s, at 2609 W. Main St., will offer crawfish boil, seafood gumbo, a raw oyster bar, red beans and rice, crawfish etouffe and yam biscuits. Bands (TBA).

Those who want to buy their beads and masks in advance will find those plus costumes, makeup and voodoo dolls at Reinke Brothers, 5663 S. Prince St., where there is also information about Mardi Gras, 303-795-5006.