Fat Tuesday at the Beacon
FORWARD TWP — The Beacon Hotel, 231 Beacon Road, celebrates Fat Tuesday once a month throughout the year. But on Mardi Gras, they expect close to 200 people to pass through their doors.
The holiday of Fat Tuesday, which commemorates the last great food and drink binge before Lent, is celebrated at the restaurant with beads and a seafood boil with crab legs, muscles, shrimp, and more.
Nick Krelow, owner of the Beacon along with his mom and dad, was out on the patio cooking up food Tuesday afternoon in preparation for the crowd.
“We make sure to have more product; we can have almost an hour wait when people start coming in,” he said.
Rob and Cheryl Zanotto, said this was their first time experiencing the Fat Tuesday celebration. They drove 40 minutes from Leechburg.
“We came early because we hear it fills pretty quickly,” Cheryl said. “The dumping of the boil (onto our table) was very exciting.”
“It’s the last feast before the Lent season where you can eat and drink everything,” Rob said.
Jodie Harbison said this is the 27th year of Fat Tuesdays, and she comes to the restaurant regularly.
“It’s such a nice variety for a reasonable price,” she said of the day. “The food is so delicious.”
Cindy Edwards of Gibsonia, said she’s also a Fat Tuesday customer throughout the year, but she brought a friend to experience it with her for the first time.
“I usually get something very specific every time,” she said. “With my new friend here, we’re ordering everything off the menu. No holds barred. It’s all so good. I talked it up pretty darn good.”
