Celebrating N’awlins at the Club February 3 First Friday: Mardi Gras
Celebrate carnival season in the Winter Garden with an evening fit for a New Orleans secret society. 6–8pm Winter Garden ¥2,500 (guests: ¥4,500)
February 20–28 Mardi Gras Specials Joseph Bodenheimer
are now around 50 krewes operating each year. The king of carnival, called Rex, first appeared in 1872, and it was Rex who selected the distinctive Mardi Gras colors of purple ( justice), green (faith) and gold (power) in 1892. The Zulu Krewe, an organization of African-American members, formed in 1916 to poke fun at the Rex tradition. By 1969, organizers felt the festival had become stale, and the Bacchus Krewe rolled out the largest float in Mardi Gras history, complete with comedian Danny Kaye as the krewe’s king. Mardi Gras was a family tradition during that era, celebrated almost exclusively by locals. “We celebrated Mardi Gras by gathering at a family member’s home,” says Bodenheimer. “As an 8-year-old, I remember comparing my bag of throws with family members and friends while the adults had dinner.” Nowadays, there are krewe-organized grand balls almost nightly, though Bodenheimer says only the blue bloods of high society are invited. While his family members weren’t official members of a krewe, he says, on occasion, one would join a float or relatives
would parade on motorcycles with the Shriners charity organization. “As kids, we loved to see and touch their Harley-Davidsons,” says Bodenheimer. “One of my uncles told me to wait at a particular corner with my friends. We heard a rumble and then a procession of massive bikes appeared from around a corner. We took home some of the coolest doubloons ever bagged.” The Mardi Gras festivities draw as many as 1.4 million partygoers annually, with Fat Tuesday falling on February 28 this year. Some floats employ cutting-edge technology and carry hundreds of riders, while others feature the likes of crooner and Big Easy native Harry Connick Jr. Some family aspects do remain, with the bawdier traditions confined to Bourbon Street in the historic French Quarter, where parades were discontinued in 1973 due to its narrow streets. “Mardi Gras is different in that it is now a business and seems to be less family-orientated. It’s a big tourist show,” says Bodenheimer. “It is still important to me as it celebrates the history and culture of the city.”
Feast on three authentic Crescent City dishes: muffuletta, andouille jambalaya and shrimp and vegetable pastalaya. 11am–8:30pm Rainbow Café
February 25–26
World Weekend Buffet
Rainbow Café throws a family-friendly Cajun-Creole feast, including jambalaya, chili con carne and Cajun-blackened salmon. 11am–8:30pm Rainbow Café
February 27–28 Fat Tuesday Specials
Don’t miss such Big Easy-inspired eats as barbecue-spiced shrimp, Cajun-spiced chicken burger and blackened tuna on okra, corn and tomatoes. 11:30am–3pm & 6–10pm American Bar & Grill & Traders’ Bar
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