Mardi Gras

The terms "Mardi Gras" (mär`dē grä) and "Mardi Gras season",in English, refer to events of the Carnival celebrations, ending on the day before Ash Wednesday. From the French term "Mardi Gras" (literally "Fat Tuesday"), the term has come to mean the whole period of activity related to those events, beyond just the single day, often called Mardi Gras Day or Fat Tuesday.The season can be designated by the year, as in "Mardi Gras 2008"

Other cities most famous for their Mardi Gras celebrations include Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and New Orleans, Louisiana. Many other places have important Mardi Gras celebrations as well.

Top 10 Places to Celebrate Mardi Gras


* Acadiana in Washington. I rarely include DC restaurants in our discussions. But there are so few places on today's list that aren't just bars having an event in honor of Mardi Gras, I thought I would mention a restaurant that serves a serious, upscale version of New Orleans food.

* Ale Mary's in Fells Point. The menu for the week is completely Cajun, and today's blue plate special is beef Wellington with a Cajun crawfish cream sauce and crawfish empanada for $5.99. I'm speechless.

* Bayou Cafe in White Marsh. Known more for its music than its food, the new menu under a new chef still focuses on Cajun cuisine. Maybe the changes will make it more palatable to some of our commenters.

* Clarence's Taste of New Orleans in Edgewood. Ex-LIVE reviewer Karen Nitkin gave the food three stars, and the oyster po' boy sounds fabulous.

* Ethel and Ramone's in Mount Washington. This well-regarded, funky little place serves a mixture of Cajun cuisine and Maryland fare.

* Kooper's Tavern in Fells Point. The bar is featuring a Mardi Gras celebration tonight with hurricanes, fried chicken, jambalaya, gumbo, etouffée, barbecued shrimp and oysters.

* Louisiana in Fells Point. It's expensive, and it gets mixed reviews, but it's as close as Baltimore gets to French Creole cuisine in an elegant setting.

* Mother's Federal Hill Grille in Federal Hill. Half-price gumbo all day and beer specials.

* Pickles Pub downtown. Mick Kipp, owner of the Whiskey Island Pirate Shop, will be cooking crawfish and chicken and shrimp gumbo tonight from 7 p.m. till 10 p.m. It's all you can eat and drink (beer) for $25, plus a band that starts at 8 p.m.

* RA Sushi in Harbor East. To celebrate its first anniversary, RA is holding a Mardi RA party Thursday, with Cajun wings, a voodoo roll and Creole crawfish. The special drinks include a Queen of Parade and a King Cake Martini.