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A Mardi Gras week of celebrations has been staged in Bahrain giving diners a taste and opportunity to experience US ‘southern-style’ home hospitality for the first time.
It’s an event celebrated by families across the globe but arguably nowhere better than New Orleans with its famous carnival, parades and fine food full of traditional Cajun flavours.
Bahrain’s colourful celebrations were staged at the Red Plate vino & pasta and its sister restaurant, Big Texas Barbeque & Waffle House located in the Best Western Plus - The Olive Hotel in Juffair, owned by restaurateur Milly and logistics businessman Radford Cox.
“We are both from the South,” explained Milly, a mother-of-two who has been living in the kingdom for the past 10 years. “I’m from Pensacola and Radford is from Mississippi, Alabama, and we always used to meet up in New Orleans on the weekends. During Carnival we celebrated with our family and friends.
“Throughout the Carnival season there are parades with people on giant floats throwing beaded necklaces and sweet moon pies - cracker cookies with marshmallow centres, covered in chocolate - at the crowd.
“We just figured this is a great way to celebrate the official grand opening of The Red Plate with family and friends, as well as give those that were feeling a little home sick at this time a week of nostalgia and fun.”
The week featured a series of activities including a Mardi Gras ‘king and queen’ costume competition. Both venues were decorated with streamers, balloons, feathers, masks and other Mardi Gras elements to capture the spirit of the occasion.
Two festive Mardi Gras Friday brunches were also staged at the restaurants. The party continued late with VIP guests joining in the fun wearing glamourous and colourful attire.
“It was a fabulous evening,” said Milly. “We had a sultry jazz and blues band, a masquerade and people feasted on Mardi Gras favourites such as seafood gumbo and jambalaya.”
The Mardi Gras signature dishes were cooked up by Chef Silva and guided by Executive Chef Matthew Capozzi who leads the kitchen team. Jambalaya is a dish originating from Louisiana of Spanish and French influence, consisting of shrimps, chicken and vegetables mixed with rice.
The king and queen were set to be crowned last night during Big Texas’ ‘Tex Mex Night’ as guests tucked into a huge King Cake, again keeping up with tradition. Weekly King Cake Parties are held in US neighbourhoods, schools and offices. It’s a braided cinnamon-laced brioche-like concoction topped with icing and coloured sugars in Mardi Gras vibrant hues of purple, green and gold, symbolising justice, faith and power.
Mardi Gras, which is actually French for ‘Fat Tuesday’, and became a season of revelry and overindulgence in which many people eat rich, fatty foods before giving up something they love for the 40 days between Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent, and Easter. The first Carnival season made its way to the US when French explorers landed in Louisiana.
