It’s easy to feel like you’re in The Big Easy at Prudhomme’s Lost Cajun Kitchen, located in a haunted 1800s-era hotel. It’s where you can get a taste of Cajun favorites like seafood gumbo, crawfish étouffée, gator tail and po-boys. I recommend the blackened catfish platter, served with red beans and rice, which is juicy and flavorful. (Hint: You’ll need to add hot sauce for some heat.) Featured on the menu this Mardi Gras will be the Happy Cajun — jambalaya topped with batter-dipped haddock — in addition to ice-cold hurricanes and sweet potato pie, among other things.

Prudhomme’s also is taking orders for its King Cakes, complete with the plastic babies inside. This iced pastry ring, usually decorated with the Mardi Gras colors of purple, green and gold, also can be found at The Pennsylvania Bakery in Camp Hill.

For other N’awlins-style grub, stop at Dippin Dairy in Lemoyne, which, much to my surprise, is serving up ghost pepper-spiked jambalaya for a limited time. Sloppy Janes Cafe and Deli in Lancaster is offering a special Mardi Gras menu that includes duck gumbo, crawfish boil, muffaletta sandwiches and shrimp Creole. Or try The Soup Spot in Harrisburg for the Rajin Cajun sandwich and the daily Cajun/Creole soup. There’s also a new place in Hanover: A Taste of Bourbon Seafood and Grill that cooks up many of these Louisiana favorites.

But for a truly Pennsylvania Dutch treat, fasnachts will be cropping up (and quickly disappearing) this Tuesday at bakeries, grocery stores and churches all over Central Pennsylvania. Fasnachts, German for "night before the fast," traditionally were made to use up the fat in the house before Lent. Hopefully you placed your order for these hefty doughnut-like sweets early to avoid the rush. If not, you still can pick them up on Tuesday while supplies last. I just hope you plan on getting up early! I hear that Saint Cecilia Catholic Church in Lebanon is the place to go for fascnachts. But also try Schenk’s Bakery, The Pennsylvania Bakery and The Dingeldein Bakery, as well as your local Giant, Karns, Weis or Stauffers.

Laissez les bons temps roulez! (Let the good times roll!) So what are you eating this Mardi Gras?

Erica Streisfeld is the editor for custom publishing at Journal Publications Inc., parent company of the Central Penn Business Journal. She moonlights as a foodie and wino, and many people also know her as founder and organizer of the Harrisburg Cupcake Cup, a community cupcake competition that doubles as a fundraiser for the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank. Follow her at @HbgFoodandWine.