For Mardis Gras on February 17th we are making king cakes, like we have been for years, but we’re also making our gumbo from scratch. You can read about both of them below, and use these buttons to order yours.

We often hear that America is a “melting pot,” but gumbo may be the truest example—a rich mix of seafood, sausage, chicken, and vegetables born from Creole cooking in Louisiana. Its name comes from the Angolan word for okra, ki’ngombo, brought to the Americas by enslaved Africans in the 1600s. Okra gives gumbo its signature thickness, binding all the ingredients into one harmonious stew.

Chef Jamey Fader’s Mardi Gras gumbo follows that tradition. He uses house-made chorizo for smoky flavor, pulled chicken for the stock, and a deeply roasted roux—dry-baked flour mixed with vegetable oil and a touch of bacon fat—to build the backbone of the dish. He prefers a chunky texture with varied shapes and sizes, giving every bite personality.

Seasonings like thyme, oregano, cayenne, black pepper, and filé powder bring everything together with a hint of “swamp funk,” as Fader puts it. In the end, Marczyk gumbo becomes its own melting pot: a savory, sensory jumble of textures, aromas, and flavors.

Such a stew..