MARDI GRAS EDITION!!!!!

Photo credit: xoashleigh

Doesn't my title make it sound like I have a ton to say about Mardi Gras?  Perhaps I am in New Orleans collecting thousands of beads? Perhaps I have oodles of recipe ideas?  Perhaps I just found the baby in the King Cake?

Nope, none of these.  I just know it's Mardi Gras and that people get excited about it and therefore maybe I should get excited too?

However.......

I am NOT excited about the fact that I've never tasted a King Cake before.

and

I am NOT excited that I was supposed to eat pancakes this morning and did not.

I AM excited that a bunch of my friends and I went to the Louisiana Kitchen and Bayou Bar in Bethesda this weekend.  What a shame I didn't take pictures though, because it was an AWESOME and CHEAP meal.  I was soooooooooo stuffed. Hurting stuffed.  If you go, order all your entrees as a small rather than large - trust me.  Their portion sizes are generous and you will get full quickly, especially if you get some appetizers.  I ordered a small cup of chicken gumbo ($6.25) which was full to the brim with their rotisserie chicken.  They do NOT skimp on the meat here.  Then Dan and I split an oyster po' boy ($10.50) and a small entree of the etoufee with "the works" ($10.50) - chicken, andouille sausage, shrimp and catfish.  I loved the etoufee and would definitely order it again.  Also, please believe me when I tell you that you do NOT need to order a whole plate of beignets ($3.95) for yourself.  They are not the size of munchkins, they are much MUCH larger than that.  They are also not as sweet as you would imagine. The Key Lime Pie, however - now that was sweet and delicious.

How are you all celebrating Mardi Gras?  

One thing FOR YOU to be excited about is that today is the LAST DAY TO ENTER MY CONTEST!  2 tickets for 1 winner to the Londontowne Symphony Orchestra's Spring Gala.  Enter everyday on this post!