Community Corner

Mardi Gras: Where's the Best Place to Get Your Beads on in Sammamish?

Tell us your favorite local hangouts for party holidays such as Mardi Gras, and take a look at some of our suggestions for marking the occasion.

Mardi Gras has been around since 1699, and though we aren't in New Orleans, that's no reason not to celebrate! Mardi Gras, or in many cultures Carnival, has it's roots in Catholicism, sort of a last hurrah to partake in the pleasures of the flesh before Ash Wednesday begins the season of Lent.

According to AmericanCatholic.org, the official colors of New Orleans Mardi Gras, also have their roots in Catholicism: purple, a symbol of justice; green, representing faith; and gold, to signify power.

Festivities begin today, which is the actual Mardi Gras (French for Fat Tuesday), and culminate in Sammamish on Sunday, Feb. 26, with the Sammamish Symphony Mardi Gras Concert at Eastlake High School.

Find out what's happening in Sammamish-Issaquahwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Locally, you can celebrate at Redmond's Bar & Grill tonight with drink specials and, of course, lots of beads.

If you'll be hittin'the town, we want to know where in Sammamish you go to get a little festive on holidays such as Mardi Gras. Browse through our business listings and review your favorite night spots, or tell us where you'll be celebrating in the comments.

Find out what's happening in Sammamish-Issaquahwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

If you celebrate like the French, you'll be making crêpes this evening, perhaps adding a little Nutella or lemon juice and powdered sugar. If you want to give it a try, here's the crêpe recipe I'll be sharing with my sister's family this evening: 

Ingredients :

1 cup flour

4 eggs

1 pinch of salt

3.5 tablespoons butter (will be melted)

.5 liter milk (about 2 cups milk)

Stir the flour, eggs pinch of salt, and milk with a whisk.

You should end up with a batter without many lumps. Add the melted butter.

Let rest 10 minutes or so.

In a very hot pan, pour a little butter to grease the pan.

Pour a half ladle of batter and cook for three minutes.

The first crêpe will be your test for the batter: If the crêpe is a little hard, dry, add some butter or some milk; If the crêpe breaks, add flour by sifting and whisking it to avoid lumps.

Toppings: totally up to you! This recipe is not too sweet, so it works well for crêpes salé--top it with shredded gruyere, ham, and mushrooms; or sliced strawberries and whipped cream. The kids, of course love nutella (you can throw in some sliced bananas, too), but my favorite way to eat them is simply, with a little lemon juice and powdered sugar.

Bon appetit!


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