Mardi Gras

David Krebs

"Mardi Gras is basically a gigantic block party," notes David Krebs. "You go out on the street on Mardi Gras Day and you walk up and down St. Charles Avenue before the parades show up and there are people all over the place.

"We live in the Garden District, so we're just about two blocks off the main parade route. You run into people you haven't seen for two or three years. You see your neighbors and they'll give you a Bloody Mary as you walk by their house. It's a very nice community celebration. The crowds on St. Charles are mixed. There's somebody who is a federal judge standing next to somebody who's a janitor.

"And food is a huge part of it. I think most New Orleanians will tell you that the traditional meal on Mardi Gras Day is Red Beans and Rice (David shares his favorite version). People make jambalaya, too. And some folks get a little more creative, with King Cakes and such. You make party dishes that will hold because Mardi Gras is basically a neighborhood celebration - a huge block party for the whole city."

David lives in N'awlins with his wife Patricia. They have two grown children, Charlie and Brandy. "I went to graduate school for three years in Germany, but I missed New Orleans, I missed home," recalls David, who returned there to work as an attorney.

He missed Mardi Gras, too. "If you're raised with it, it's part of who you are," he says.

Menu:
Elaine Joseph - Potato Salad
David Krebs - Red Beans and Rice