Mardi Gras/Ash Wednesday specials at Mussel Bar in Bethesda

Mussel Bar & Grille at 4903 Cordell Avenue in Bethesda is offering specials for Mardi Gras today, and for Ash Wednesday tomorrow. Today, they are serving all-you-can-eat mussels for $39.95. A special cocktail is also being served today, called "Holy Water." It is an olive oil-infused vodka martini with dry vermouth, orange liqueur, and EVOO-marinated olives.

Tomorrow, there will be three seafood specials: Cioppino, grilled calamari with Romesco sauce, and pan-seared fluke a la grenobloise. The special cocktail will be named for the day, Ash Wednesday. It will be a smoked mezcal negroni with mezcal, aperol, and sweet vermouth served in the Smoking Dome.

Hyatt Regency Bethesda is ready for Mardi Gras...are you? (Photos)

The Hyatt Regency Bethesda hotel at 7400 Wisconsin Avenue is ready for Mardi Gras this Tuesday. Its customizable accent lighting is set for the New Orleans colors of purple and green. Are you ready for Mardi Gras in Bethesda? The downtown has lost its New Orleans cuisine restaurants, but you can still head to Barrel and Crow at 4867 Cordell Avenue for crab beignets, Spiced Shrimp and Grits or Andouille and Seafood Gumbo; to Black Market Bistro in Garrett Park for a po boy or their New Orleans-Style Shrimp and Grits; to Popeyes in White Flint; or to Kelly's Cajun Grill in the Dining Terrace food court at Westfield Montgomery Mall.

MARDI GRAS IN BETHESDA 2014 - EVENTS AND SPECIALS

Fat Tuesday is just around the corner. While Bethesda still lacks a Mardi Gras parade, some local bars and restaurants are trying to fill the void.

DOUBLETREE BETHESDA

Saturday, March 1, 8:00 PM

$35 gets you 2 drink tickets and access to a variety of New Orleans cuisine, a traditional King Cake finish, a complimentary Bacardi specialty bar to start the evening, giveaways and live jazz.

You can order tickets online. The hotel is offering $98 rooms for those who want to stay for the night.

8120 Wisconsin Avenue

MUSSEL BAR BETHESDA ROW

Saturday, March 1, 12-4 PM

You can pre-game for the Doubletree at Mussel Bar earlier Saturday afternoon. Their Mardi Gras R"evo"lution features $4 EVO drafts, $25 all-you-can-eat New Orleans cuisine, and live music by Chris Bruno.

7262 Woodmont Avenue, (301) 215-7817

BETHESDA BLUES AND JAZZ SUPPER CLUB

Friday, February 28, 8:00 PM

A burlesque show in downtown Bethesda? Lingerie models? You read about what's sure to be the wildest Mardi Gras event in town here last week, and with it being this Friday night, you can now fit all 3 events on your Mardi Gras schedule. I ga-ron-tee!

7719 Wisconsin Avenue, (240) 330-4500

MARDI GRAS IN BETHESDA 2013 - KING CAKES ARRIVE AT GIANT

It's tough to celebrate Mardi Gras in Bethesda. We have no Mardi Gras parade whatsoever. We have only one Cajun restaurant, Louisiana Kitchen and Bayou Bar on Cordell Avenue. And most bars either have no special plans, or are declining to share them with the public.

Union Jack's and Giant Food to the rescue!

Union Jack's Bethesda on St. Elmo Avenue will actually be having a real Mardi Gras bash Tuesday night, February 12.  Their chef is preparing a special Cajun menu, many a strand of beads will be given away, and so will a tropical vacation with hotel and airfare, by the end of the night.  They'll also be pouring the official drink of New Orleans, the Hurricane.

Meanwhile, King Cakes have arrived at Giant. These cakes contain a plastic baby, representing Christ. The person who finds the baby in their piece of cake has to buy the King Cake next year.

Did you know that each year, 750,000 King Cakes are sold in New Orleans? And that another 50,000 are shipped by air overnight to customers all over the country. You won't have to go that far, but hurry, because Giant usually sells out of King Cakes every year.

Three notes on the photos of my King Cake below:

1. They are round, ring cakes. Mine is missing the 2 pieces I cut out Saturday and Sunday night. Sorry!

2. Giant packs the plastic "baby" separate in the box, rather than hiding it in the cake as tradition calls for.  I think it's to avoid legal liability for someone choking on it. However, if adults are eating it and forewarned, the cake has cuts around the top that allow you to easily stuff the baby into a piece of the cake.

3. Giant did not include any beads with this batch of King Cakes. Boo!  That's strange, as they always gave a generous handful of Mardi Gras beads in many colors in past years.

Enjoy a Mardi Gras out in Bethesda, at home in Bethesda, or both!

By the way, two places to look for Zapp's Potato Chips from New Orleans, are Potbelly on Elm Street, and CVS on Wisconsin Avenue across from 7-11 and Fairmont Plaza (they usually have one of my favorite flavors, Voodoo).

FAT TUESDAY

ON A

SLIM BUDGET:

MARDI GRAS

IN

BETHESDA

It would be ideal to be in New Orleans today, but you just don't have the vacation time or money to do so. Robert Dyer @ Bethesda Row to the rescue!

If you are seeking Cajun cuisine in Bethesda, Louisiana Kitchen and Bayou Bar at 4907 Cordell Avenue is the place to go. This is not a pretentious restaurant, but a place offering Cajun standards and Louisiana specialty beers. Now that Cacao Poulain has closed at Bethesda Row, Louisiana Kitchen is the only regular source of fresh beignets in town.

There are other choices in town for Mardi Gras dining:

Blackfinn Bethesda - Top on my list is their Shrimp and Grits entree, with Tasso ham (it doesn't get anymore authentic than that). Blackfinn also has a Bourbon Street Burger with Boursin cheese and peppercorn sauce (and a Hangover Burger if you need it on Wednesday!), and a real Fried Oyster Po'Boy.

Head to American Tap Room at Bethesda Row for lunch or dinner today: you can order the N'awlins Fish or Creole Sausage sandwiches at either time!

Rather stay in tonight?

Head to Giant and pick up boxes of Zatarain's New Orleans favorites, like Red Beans and Rice. That one gets five stars from me. Add a fresh or frozen catfish filet, and you have a full dinner.

Don't forget Zapp's potato chips! If you're lucky, they'll be in stock at Potbelly Sandwich Works on Elm Street, or one stop away on the Red Line at World Market in Friendship Heights.

Mardi Gras tip: before leaving Friendship Heights, stop by Lia's on Willard Ave, head into the bar, and order an Abita Turbodog, direct from Louisiana.

Top off your Mardi Gras evening with a fresh King Cake from the bakery at Giant, complete with beads and plastic baby hidden inside. A Mardi Gras tradition that goes back to the Old World.

Finally, what New Orleans Mardi Gras would be complete without a Hurricane from Pat O'Brien's?

The problem is, we're here, not in New Orleans. Not to worry, here is a Hurricane cocktail recipe I got from Phillips Seafood restaurants:

HURRICANE

1 oz. light rum

1 oz. dark rum

1/2 oz. grenadine

3 oz. orange juice

3 oz. pineapple juice

Shake and pour over ice.

Add pineapple slice and cherry as garnish.

HAPPY MARDI GRAS!

from

Robert Dyer @ Bethesda Row