Masked for Mardi Gras with Tulane University Dining

The spirit of Mardi Gras was in full swing as Tulane Dining Services by Sodexo at Tulane University hosted its annual Mardi Gras lunch on the Monday before Fat Tuesday.

“When we started planning our Mardi Gras lunch, the goal was producing an event that students would find memorable,” said Tulane University Chef Jon Petrie. “With carnival parades canceled and students dealing with stressful COVID related restrictions, we knew we needed to lift their spirits.”

Both dining halls - including the Dining Pavilion added over the summer to accommodate social distancing - were decked out with balloons, streamers, and purple, green, and gold décor.

Menus were designed as chefs reminisced about aromas and flavors of New Orleans favorites and parade foods like chicken and andouille gumbo, jambalaya, BBQ chicken, hamburgers, fried chicken, po-boys, cotton candy, and candy apples - maintaining the pledge to serve nut-free options.

As a menu enhancement, Mardi Gras colors were incorporated into the dishes - corn for the gold, smothered spinach for the green, and purple mashed potatoes for the purple.

The Carved station featured a smoked pork belly, baked macaroni & cheese, sauteed green beans, and braised greens. Sliced pizza station made a special Mardi Gras pizzette with a lemon yogurt base and a drizzle of sriracha BBQ sauce. Grilled station did a BBQ chicken sandwich on a whole wheat bun with crispy shoestring fries. The plant-based station created a lentil-jackfruit jambalaya served with a purple cabbage slaw.

Chef Jon Petrie designed the day’s desserts including king cake; purple, gold, and green sugar cookies; a colorful sponge cake; and his “Mardi Gras Jester Cake’ a plant-based crowd pleaser.

Students and dining employees were properly masked and COVID-19 protocols were stringently followed with attended stations, acrylic barriers, directional floor decals, and spaced seating to maintain social distancing.

As New Orleanians replaced their normal parading by decorating their houses and businesses to look like parade floats, the Dining Pavilion’s outer windows were decorated with “Cooking Up a Carnival” to resemble a Mardi Gras float.

Students received Tulane Dining-themed Mardi Gras beads upon entering.

“Although most of the normal Mardi Gras traditions were canceled due to the pandemic, we wanted students to still experience this joyful and festive time of year,” said Michael Fulkerson, Area Marketing Director for Sodexo.

For more information, please contact Michael Fulkerson, Area Marketing Director for Sodexo, at michael.fulkerson@sodexo.com.

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Editorial Contact: Jennifer Toone Corrigan,

In Toone Communication, jtoone@intoone.com 401-258-8830