It’s carnival season with Mardi Gras just a week away, but
you don’t have to be in
New Orleans to celebrate. Washington sees its fair share of Fat
Tuesday feting, and
as the official Louisiana-sponsored Washington Mardi Gras
wraps up, the unofficial revelry begins.
Chef
David Guas, a New Orleans native, hosts a full-throttle celebration at Alexandria’s Bayou Bakery
on Mardi Gras day, February 12. From 5 to 11 PM, 15th Street gets roped off for a
Mardi Gras block party featuring free oysters from Rappahannock River Oysters, specialty
cocktails by
Gina Chersevani of Buffalo & Bergen, a parade float, a costume contest, Bayou Bakery grub, and, of
course, Abita beers.
Acadiana,
known and praised for its New Orleans-themed fine dining, serves up a special Mardi
Gras prix-fixe menu including NOLA classics such as crawfish jambalaya, buffalo frog’s
legs with a cheddar cheese grit cake, and rabbit étouffée, to name a few. For dessert
there’s a twist on the classic: king cake doughnuts. The dinner is from 5:30 to 10:30
PM on Lundi Gras and Mardi Gras day, February 11 and 12.
For a more elegant take on the famous holiday, the
Alliance Française DC and Art Soiree are throwing a black-tie-optional masquerade ball at the Washington Club on February
9. The Blues Style Brass Band provide the entertainment, as does an open bar offering
Hurricanes, Sazeracs, and more. Buy tickets ($60) online.
The
Black Rock Center for the Arts in Germantown, Maryland, hosts the Crawdaddies, a Louisiana
zydeco band, on February 9 for a Mardi Gras concert. Tickets ($23 to $25) can be found
here.
The
Clarendon Alliance’s Mardi Gras Parade rolls
down Wilson Boulevard from North Barton Street to North
Irving Street on Mardi Gras day at 8 PM, featuring bands,
beads, masks, and more.
Rumors hosts its 12th annual Bourbon Street Bash, which
mirrors its namesake: From 4 PM until close on Mardi Gras Day, Coors Light bottles
are $2, Blue Moon bottles are $3, Bacardi drinks are $4, and Hurricanes are $5. In
addition, there’s a brass band and food specials such as red beans and rice, jambalaya,
and gumbo.
