While Valentine’s Day may be the holiday buzzing on most people’s mind this week, in New Orleans they have an entirely different celebration planned this week. Today is Fat Tuesday, also known as Mardi Gras, one of the biggest party days of the year and THE biggest party ever in New Orleans. While we doubt many of of our Riverbank residents will make it all the way down to Louisiana for the big day, lucky for us there are a few places right within Hell’s Kitchen to give us that NOLA vibe.

Bourbon Street – Bourbon Street is where all the action happens down in New Orleans, and it happens to be where the fun takes place in Hell’s Kitchen too! This restaurant/bar just north of us on Restaurant Row is like stepping into another world.  With cathedral ceilings, French wrought iron balconies, and Cajun/Creole food on every table, you’ll forget you’re in Manhattan. While there’s a party going on at Bourbon Street for every day of the year, Mardi Gras is their big holiday. Check out the specials they have going on, as well as the live music and Fat Tuesday decor you won’t find anywhere else in NYC.

Birdland Jazz Club  – If any music can capture the magic that is New Orleans, it’s jazz, and there’s a great jazz club right across the street from Bourbon Street on Restaurant Row. With live jazz every night and great Cajun/Creole fair, the vibe at Birdland is much more low-key than at Bourbon Street, but no less NOLA-style. Grab a drink for an “adult” version of the Mardi Gras festivities.

 

Bourbon Street

346 W 46th St
New York, NY 10036

 

Birdland Jazz Club

315 W 44th St
New York, NY 10036