The Pantagraph from Bloomington, Illinois • Page 7

Sunday, Jan. 31, 1988 Th Pantograph Mardi Gras: NW Orleans' ultimate pig cfc vivne' 7' HI 7 1 -wan "or- v. iO XL-' VN aV7. The famous celebration of Mardi Gras, or "Fat Tuesday," brings unbridled joy to the Louisiana city to watch elaborate parades presented by the "krewes," or social organizations, of the city. of New Orleans.

Thousands of visitors from around the world arrive if Music of New Orleans, page B2 rived from medieval Latin showcases the influences of European cultures on the city and its inhabitants. In New Orleans, the celebration is a fusion of all that is the best, the most glittering, the most lavish and the most hilarious of other salutes to Rex, the King of Carnival. There are more than 60 Mardi Gras organizations from every part of New Orleans and they represent every walk of life in the Crescent City. Carnival krewes are no longer the province of the rich and elite, although the oldest krewes Comus, Rex, Momus and Protus include among their members the social and business leaders of the city. In 1909 the first black krewe, Zulu, was organized.

There is also a women's krewe, Iris, founded in 1917. The largest and most elaborate float is produced by the krewe of Bacchus, which organized a new style in 1968 by creating a float for celebrity kings and by presenting the most lavish balls with top-notch entertainment. Each Carnival organization presents an annual ball, and most sponsor street parades. The money required for staging the balls and the parades is provided by the members through dues and assessments. No tickets are sold, no advertising is permitted and commercialism of any kind is forbidden.

Each krewe has a design artist who plans the floats, the costumes for the maskers riding the floats, the settings for the lavish balls and the themes for the parades or balls with an historical, legendary or mythological representation. Preparing for Mardi Gras is a year-round project in New Orleans, and no sooner have the Christmas decorations come down when the spirit of the celebration seizes the city. It all begans this year on Jan. 24, when the first parade made its way through the streets. Although Mardi Gras is a spectacular event and an unforgettable experience, there are many reasons to visit New Orleans any time.

Summers are hot and steaming, but there is a musty charm about the city. Beneath the glitz of the historic French Quarter there is authentic architecture lovingly preserved and restored. The city is eager for expansion, prosperity and progress but not at the expense of its heritage and history. New Orleanians love their city and are eager to show you its attractions. There is pride and joy when they talk about their culture.

Art galleries abound, there is a fine symphony, a performing arts center featuring Broadway's best hits Where to stay Write to the Greater New Orleans Tourist Convention Commission, 1520 Sugar Bowl Drive, New Orleans, 70112, for a complete listing of accomodations, or call (504) 566-5011. The following hotels are known to offer a superior stay: The Pontchartrain Hotel, 2031 St. Charles (504) 524-0581 On historic St. Charles Avenue. Good restaurants nearby in a quiet location.

A gracious, small hotel with an impeccable staff, lovely large rooms and the Caribbean Room, one of the city's best restaurants Just off the lobby. The Fairmont Hotel, University Place, (504) 529-7111 Where the Sazarac cocktail was born. Just around the corner from the French Quarter; has a rating of 4 stars in the Mobil Guide. An old-fashioned hotel with up-to-the-minute amenities. The Dauphine Orleans Hotel, 415 Dauphine (504) 586-1800 Wonderful little hotel in the French Quarter.

Large, beautifully furnished rooms and apartments built around a courtyard. Nice touches are a swimming pool and a well-stocked library adjoins the bar. Maison de Ville, 727 Toulouse (504) 561-5858 or 1-80034-1600 In the heart of the French Quarter, just off Bourbon Street World Guide rated this as the third most charming hotel in the world. Twelve rooms, two suites and seven cottages; all furnished with priceless antiques. Perfect for those who appreciate the finer things of life.

i 1 "JE An Louisiana Ollict of Tourism at the French Quarter the three-star restaurants of France or the highly touted restaurants in New York or San Francisco. Go for the music, too. New Orleans jazz ranks with the food distinctive, soul-satisfying, genuine and moving. Here is where jazz was born and remains an intregral part of everyday life. Preservation Hall lives on; it's only $2 to hear the best, most traditional and most moving jazz in America.

Casamento family have kept seafood lovers happy for more than 70 years. It's a small, spot- lessly clean place, unobtrusive with the original tile floor that was laid in 1919. The menu is simple oysters in many forms including the famous oyster loaf, shrimp, fish, crabs and from all reports great homemade spaghetti and meatballs. Clancy's, 6100 Annunciation (504) 895-1111 This is' a fairly new restaurant with a young, eager owner who has worked in New Orleans for some time. The decor is plain but warm and comforting with tile, wood and a cozy bar.

Clan- -cy's is an ideal neighborhood restaurant and it is evident that the patrons come often. The average dinner is about 18 to $20 and well worth the price and the trip "up town." If you'd like to get outside bf -the city, here are two suggestions: Middendorf's, Manchac, La. This is a country eatery that is so crowded on the weekends the management has an adjoin-ing building for the overflow. Catfish and shellfish are the specialities. The catfish is served as "thick" (tenderloin catfish) or "fried thin," which is delicious.

There is nothing on the menu over $10; the service is quick, the surroundings clean and simple. Oak Alley Plantation, Great River Road, Hwy. 18, Vacherie, (504) 265-2151 While tour- ing the plantations around New Orleans, stop In to have lunch at -this magnificently restored house. The gumbe ya-ya (gumbo with fried chicken in it), the andouille gumbo with turkey and bread pudding are de- licious. I I i iv able throughout the city to everyone.

Even the fast-food emporiums offer classic Louisiana fare: red beans and rice, po'boy sandwiches, muffalatoes, gumbos, jambalaya, bread puddings, etoufee, dirty rice, pralines and andouille. Each New Orleanian has a favorite restaurant and a favorite dish, and most are willing to share their opinions and knowledge. The restaurants, even the simplest ones, have style and distinction. The most elaborate are comparable to Where to eat Most restaurants here are totally honest and concentrate on what they do best: Creole and Cajun foods. The food of New Orleans is famous because it is distinctive, unique, delicious, wholesome and interesting.

Here is a gastronomic overview: Commander's Palace, 1403 Washington (504) 899-8221 The Brennan family of New Orleans has done more to elevate native cuisine than anyone in recent history. Food is superb, the service flawless, the ambiance perfect and the wine unforgettable. Dinner for two usually runs about $40 a person, not including wine or tip. They have an extraordinary table d'hote dinner for $32. Gumbo Shop, 630 St.

Peter (504) 525-1486 This attractive restaurant is located right in the heart of the French Quarter in a restored 18th-century building with a lovely garden patio. Full bar service; good wine list. Very casual and inexpensive for typical New Orleans food. All kinds of gumbos, shrimp and crawfish etoufee, lovely desserts and fine service. Caribbean Room, 2031 St.

Charles (504) 5240581 For many years particular New Orleanians have been patronizing this beautiful dining room in the Pontchartrain Hotel. It's still one of the city's best, the service impeccable and the food superior. The famous mile-high ice cream pie is delicious. The prices are moderately expensive but well worth it Casamento's Restaurant 4330 Magazine (504) 895-9761 Four generations of the and the oldest continually operating community theater in America, Le Petit Theater. The Preservation Resource Center sponsors architectural tours through the city's most historic neighborhoods, as does the U.S.

Park Service rangers. The French Quarter now is under the supervision of the Park Service and, although few people know it, the rangers conduct periodic, free tours through the district. The most comfortable and entertaining way to see New Orleans is to board one of the paddlewheel boats that offer tours up and down the river. Most are for just a few hours, while others offer longer trips. In recent years the waterfront of New Orleans has been restored.

Riverwalk, a complex of hotels, shops, promenades and docking facilities for the river boats, has replaced decaying buildings in the heart of the city. Riverwalk will be the site of a public celebration the day before Mardi Gras, Lundi Gras (Fat Monday). This celebration will give visitors and residents who are not members of krewes an opportunity to experience the pageantry and fun of the season. At 5 p.m. on Feb.

15, a parade will take place along the riverfront in the area between Canal Street and the Riverwalk. One of the participants will be Rex, King of Carnival, who will be taken by boat to Spanish Plaza, which is the centerpiece of the Riverwalk. Rex will be met by the mayor and escorted to the plaza where they will begin a fireworks display marking the opening of Mardi Gras. After the fireworks there will be live entertainment by top artists such as the Neville Brothers, who will also entertain at a masked ball on the Spanish Plaza. Admission to the ball is free; the only requirement is that everyone wear a mask.

During the dancing the Krewe of Proteus will arrive in full costume to give everyone an opportunity to see members of their splendid regalia. If revelry and unbridled celebration are not to your taste, visit this extraordinary city at quieter times. It is one of this country's treasures; historically, culturally and most of all, gastronomically. Culinary experts from the four corners of the earth regularly visit New Orleans for its distinctive cuisine. And this distinctive food is avail By Scripps Howard God creaiea New Orleans, be brought forth the first jam-balaya.

Rising out of a swampy morass, the city today is a mel VVVVVVT' ange of cultures, flavors and ethnic energies as fascinating, spicy and tantalizing as the dish that's indigenous to the Crescent City. Hundreds of thousands of foreign tourists join Americans every year to visit this vital Southern city Southern in location, but cosmopolitan in attitudes and lifestyle. In reality, New Orleans defies categorization. The city is full of surprises; its citizens resist analysis. They cling to their history while plunging into the future.

There is an erotic, sensual quality about New Orleans that permeates every facet of life. The architecture, the food, the music, the climate and most especially the native New Orleanians exude a sly mischief. At no time of the year is this mischievous aura of fun and frolic more evident than at Mardis Gras. For it is then that New Orleans strips away the mask of civility to show to the world the passion that lurks beneath. The city is filled with thousands of visitors who hit the streets in' unrestrained revelry, yet the parties, balls and galas are closely confined to members of the various krewes, who make up the city's social core.

Mardi Gras parades began in 1837, but the first of the famous social organizations, or "krewes," did not appear until 1857 when the Mistick Krewe of Comus first marched through the city with their blazing torches or "flambeaux." The celebration marks the beginning of Lent. To determine the day of Mardi Gras (French for Fat Tuesday) one must first know the date of Easter Sunday for the year; then count back 40 days, omitting Sundays, to the day before the beginning of Lent. This year Mardi Gras falls on Feb. 16. Carnival the word means "the putting away of flesh" (meat) de-.