Weekend Recap: Soulard Mardi Gras Edition

The time for repentance and fasting is upon us. The time to ask forgiveness of our grievous sins and to give up our wicked ways begins this week when Lent starts on Wednesday. So what do hundreds of thousands of people do the weekend before this solemn time? Gather in my neighborhood for the annual Soulard Mardi Gras, of course.

View looking Southwest towards McGurk's Irish Pub.
{Photo credit}

Rio has the raucous Carnival, The Big Easy has the biggest Mardi Gras celebration in the country, and my little neighborhood hosts thousands of visitors each year with a month of fun beginning with Twelfth Night in early January. Since its inception in 1979 on the steps of Johnny's Restaurant and Bar, Soulard Mardi Gras has welcomed St. Louisans and visitors alike to partake it its parades, its Wiener Dog Derby, and its Taste of Soulard.

Think Mardi Gras is all about the beads? Think again, divas. In 2012, the Beggin' Barkus Pet Parade smashed the Guinness World Record for "most dogs in costumed attire gathered in a single location." N’awlins can’t claim that, now can they?

This year, like the VIP's that we are think we are, we watched the River City Casino Grand Parade from the VIP Tent where we ate, drank, and tried to stay warm. Like any good celebration, Soulard Mardi Gras is about making memories. And if they're good enough, hopefully you'll remember them in the morning.

It's always fabulous meeting Twitter friends IRL, including Martin Casas!

It's not a party until Fredbird makes an appearance.

Soulard Mardi Gras: Booze, beads, and lots o' food.

Fabulous Find: Tabletop S'mores at Kayak's

Last Friday, my boss and co-worker took me out for a very belated birthday lunch at Kayak's.* I was last there in 2011 and I forgot just how much I enjoy the food, the imported free-trade coffee, and of course, the tabletop s’mores.

A haven for Washington University students, Kayak’s has the feel of a Canadian ski lodge with rough timber walls, snow skis mounted on the ceiling, and colorful Tibetan prayer flags hanging in the air. The rustic atmosphere is perfect for studying, relaxing, or reading the RFT by the fire. Enjoy a carefully crafted cup of coffee? Kayak’s, a member of the Kaldi’s family of coffee shops since 2010, is committed to providing its patrons with the highest quality certified organic, certified kosher, and certified free trade coffees and teas. The food at Kayak’s is equally delish: I love that their sandwiches are named after ski towns such as Breckenridge, Jackson Hole, and Telluride. My favorite? The Aspen.

Jeremy gets his kicks at Kayak's.

But we came here to talk about their tabletop s’mores, didn’t we divas? Forget sitting outside in the cold around a campfire, Kayak’s provides the flame and all the fixin’s. If you’re in St. Louis and hunkering down for winter (hello unexpected snowfall), Kayak’s tabletop s’mores are the perfect winter treat.

Tabletop s'mores for two.
{2011}

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*It turns out, I really do celebrate my birthday all month long!