It may not be time to celebrate Mardi Gras just yet, but a local restaurant, Spats Café & Speakeasy, 142 E. College Ave offers its guests the New Orleans atmosphere and taste year round.

With the walls decorated with Mardi Gras images and memorabilia and jazz music playing throughout the restaurant, Spats creates a cozy environment ideal for chatting and eating foods deviating from a college student's "normal" diet of pizza and burgers.

Here you can get anything from duck to fish to alligator and of course — rice.

While Spats may attract an older crowd because of higher prices, students working on a budget should not pass by this restaurant — especially those with a healthy appetite at lunchtime.

For only $8 you can enjoy your choice of soup, a daily special entrée, a cookie for dessert and all-you-can-eat fresh baked bread.

Spats serves its eaters decent-sized portions with a big taste. The crab and corn chowder is creamy and has small pieces of crab and kernels of corn in abundance.

It's best accompanied by the bread, which is perfect for dipping.

Everyday Spats offers its daily specials, items not regularly on the menu. The guest chooses which entrée they would like.

These meals are unique and offer the tastebuds the spicy taste that makes New Orleans famous.

Some people skip dessert when they go out to eat simply because they don't feel like paying for it, but Spats solves this problem quite effectively — they include dessert with the meal.

The last course of the lunch special is a big sugar cookie that is obviously freshly baked with a buttery taste that melts in your mouth.

Prices at dinner are remarkably higher with some entrees costing more than $20. However, if you want to impress that certain someone it's a great place to go.

And you can always do lunch if you want to be impressive on a lower budget. Also, it's the kind of place you can go with your parents when they're visiting for a weekend.

Those wanting to try only small portions of what Spats cooks up, can go to the Rathskeller, 108 S. Pugh St., where prices for entrées are generally lower than they are at Spats.

The service at Spats was decent with the wait staff being helpful and sociable. The service was also quick and efficient.

I didn't have to wait very long for my food, however, the restaurant was not all that crowded at that time of day.

Drinks were refilled immediately after being emptied and bread was put back on the table after being finished.

All in all I enjoyed my meal at Spats; it was something different that every once in awhile is good for the tastebuds and fills the stomach.

Spats opens its doors at 11:30 a.m. and serves through dinner. The restaurant is closed on Sunday — part of its keeping with the New Orleans tradition.