Mardi Gras was on my bucket list and I just had to experience it for myself. Mardi Gras aka Fat Tuesday is a day to get buck wild, indulge in food and alcohol and sin before fasting for Lent. I had no expectations except maybe seeing a boob or two in the streets as they flashed them for beads. Little did I know it was going to be 4 days of nonstop drinking and eating. If you plan on going to Mardi Gras, be prepared to spend some money and to gain at least five pounds. Speaking from experience. I was mostly blown away from the culture of Louisiana. I’m a huge foodie so I had to try all these new foods that I had heard about. The food in New Orleans is unreal. The range is off the charts. Even glancing at the menu, you will see anything from rabbit to alligator. My dear friend Ella who came with is a vegan, so bless her heart but she had a hard time with the food. Everywhere we would go, she would order hummus or salad.

HERE ARE SOME OF THE FOOD/BEVERAGE HIGHLIGHTS:

• Po Boy: It was a bit bready for me, but I enjoyed it.

• Jambalaya: I’m a sucker for a good jambalaya and boy was I in for a real treat. The authentic jambalaya is a must have in New Orleans. The portion sizes were so huge. I could not even finish it. I was raised where you had to sit at the table until you finish all of your food, so it is instilled in me to finish food, but I could not finish this number.

• Gumbo: We ate at one of Top Chef’s famous judge’s restaurant, Emeril Lagasse. I tried his gumbo and it was absolutely delicious. I really enjoyed the dining experience at his restaurant. Until then, I had never eaten at a restaurant where the waiters come around and scrape any scraps off the table or constantly rotate out your silverware.

• Crawfish: To me, the best part about crawfish is the potatoes and corn served with it. I’m a big carnivore but it is hard for me to eat something that still has the eyeballs on it. Crawfish are so much smaller than shrimp, so it feels like you’re eating their poop and their guts. It literally tastes that way too. Bleh

• Red beans and Rice: Since I probably grossed you out on the item before, I’ll throw in a delicious one here. I really enjoyed this classic New Orleans dish. It was hearty. The spices were on point and if I didn’t care about my body, I would have gone in for more.

• Beignets: It is a New Orleans tradition to try these powdered donuts from Café du Monde. We waited in the hour-long line to be seated. I love donuts but when I took a bite of these, there was so much powder my mouth felt so dry. I felt like I couldn’t breathe for a second. I literally started choking and coughing up sugar like a psycho person. They were yummy but more hyped up than they should have been if I’m being completely honest.

• Muffaletta: If you do not like olives, then you will not like this gem. I am an olive fan so the olives with the mayo and the meats were spot on. This is a must have!

• Hurricane: This iconic beverage is a tropical mix with rum. It has grenadine, fruit juice, cherry and orange in it. As Jimmy Buffet once said, “Pour me something tall and strong. Make it a hurricane, before I go insane.” I know exactly how he felt after drinking one of these bad boys. It tastes similar to a Kool-Aid fruit punch flavor.

• Hand Grenade: Hands down the best drink New Orleans has to offer. Be careful with this neon beverage because it will sneak up on you. They taste soooo good and then all of a sudden, you’re wasted. They are also probably the reason why I gained five pounds because this blended drink is very sweet. You can find them all over the French Quarter, but they are famously made at Tropical Isle. They even give you a green souvenir cup that has a little green grenade floating in it. Be festive and get yourself one of these.

BOOK HOTEL & FLIGHT

 You did not really go to New Orleans if you didn’t check out the French Quarter. That is where the majority of all the Mardi Gras festivities go down. This is where you will see a boob or three being flashed for some beads. After walking around the city, I was really blown away how much people put into Mardi Gras. They spend all year making elaborate costumes and floats for the parade. They sit out on the streets with coolers and hang out all day in the streets while they wait for the parade. It truly is a huge part of their lives.

If you’re not much of a party animal, New Orleans has so many other things to offer! We rode a boat along the Mississippi River. I was in awe of how wide and huge it was. (That’s what she said. Hahahah I couldn’t help myself) I had never floated on such a big river before. There are bayou tours, walking tours of the haunted history and the voodoo dolls. Walk along Frenchman Street and Jackson Square. There are even some parts that you can check out the damage from the Katrina Hurricane. It is sad that some areas were never fully repaired.

Mardi Gras is a one and done thing for me. I don’t think my liver could handle much more but I’d love to go back and experience more of the Louisiana food and culture.

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