No, it’s not another tropical depression, or weather related tempest. It’s the fact that the Saints made it to Super Bowl Sunday and won right smack in the middle of Mardi Gras carnival season 2010. Yes, it’s a Perfect Storm of timing, elation, celebration, and party on getting Crunk for the biggest free show on earth!

Follow along with Drick Perry from Mobile, AL and his Drick’s Rambling Cafe as he shares their Mardi Gras traditions today with Cajun Ham for Mardi Gras, while I share the New Orleans side of the carnival festivities.

In the city that lives to eat, and finds any reason to throw a party, has plenty reasons to party now! An with Mardi Gras floats borrowed from several Krewes today the New Orleans Saints will be having a parade of their own. What has been now coined as ‘Lombardi Gras’ as the good times sweep New Orleans after the Super Bowl, the Saints parade today will give another jolt to the fandemonium and euphoria never seen before in the Big Easy!

This afternoon starting at 5:00 pm CST the New Orleans Saints Super Bowl Champs parade will roll from the Super Dome, through downtown, around Lee Circle, onto St. Charles Avenue and to Canal Street, and then it will end at the Convention Center. The parade route was approved by the NOPD in record time considering it was planned with last minute preparations. This will be one of those once in a lifetime events, especially for being a dual parade, Mardi Gras and Super Bowl celebration.

Yes, it is a storm of jubilation, and “Cha-Ching” that the city so desperately needs post Katrina.  This just might be the largest Mardi Gras celebration in the city’s history.

According to Owen Brennan, executive director of the Krewe of Bacchus, which has one of the largest parades each year says, “These stars may never line up like this again, to have the Saints win the Super Bowl in the week of Mardi Gras, it’s going to be a nonstop, two-week celebration unlike anything anybody’s ever seen.”

The economic boost to strike New Orleans is a much-needed surge to the local economy. Hotels reported a 96 percent occupancy rate the night before the Super Bowl and are expecting to be 90 to 96 percent capacity for the weekend before Mardi Gras also, according to Kelly Schulz, a representative for the New Orleans Metropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau.

While schools in the New Orleans area are letting out early, tickets to viewing stands are selling out fast, starting at $25.00 per seat and up to $100.00 including drinks, and officials including the NOPD are predicting record crowds in the city as they prepare for the Super Bowl champions. Ten Mardi Gras Krewes are donating floats for the special parade. See the WDSU TV news report on You-Tube

In fact, you can watch the Saints Super Bowl champions parade from a live web-cast on NOLA.com from the balcony at Mother’s Restaurant at 401 Poydras Street and the corner of Tchoupitoulas Street. The action starts live at 5 p.m. CST on Tuesday, February 9, 2010. The parade route map is also available on NOLA.com.

Saints Personal Chefs…cooking up a storm!

Did you know that some of the New Orleans Saints have their own personal chefs? Yes, in fact they were featured in NOLA.com on Thursday, (Feb. 4, 2010) in the article by Judy Walker entitled New Orleans Saints players’ personal chefs offer up Super Bowl recipes. Including Reggie Bush’s personal chef Gason Yen Nelson who prepares dishes using Bush’s Best beans. In addition, Chef Will Jones who cooks for Jeremy Shockey, Daren Sharper and a several other Saints players offers up a recipe for “Shockey-Way Chicken” an oriental citrus chicken thigh dish. Then there is the “Cool Brees” an iced adult beverage made with coffee and chicory with Irish whiskey, Frangelico, and Godiva chocolate liquors.

Downtown Restaurants near the parade route

In addition, while downtown for the festivities, here are some of the places to eat before, during and/or after the parade. Along with links to several review of the restaurants from Alwayshungryny.com and New Orleans Menu.

Cochon Restaurant
930 Tchoupitoulas Street
New Orleans, LA 70130
(504) 588-2123

Restaurant August
301 Tchoupitoulas Street
New Orleans, LA 70130
(504) 299-9777

Emeril’s Restaurant
800 Tchoupitoulas Street
New Orleans, LA 70130
(504) 528-9393

Café Du Monde
800 Decatur Street
New Orleans, LA 70116
(504) 588-2123

Central Grocery
923 Decatur Street
New Orleans, LA 70116
(504) 523-1620

K Paul’s Louisiana Kitchen
416 Chartres Street
New Orleans, LA 70116
(504) 524-7394

Palace Café
605 Canal Street
New Orleans, LA 70116
(504) 523-1661

A Saintly Fact

Another Saint that you may not know, and not a football player at all, but a patron saint is St. Meingold, who lived in Belgium during the ninth century. Yesterday was the feast day of St. Meingold, who is one of many patron saints of bakers.

More in the series:

• Joining me in this endeavor is Drick Perry : Learn about street foods & his Gulf Coast Seafood Gumbo / Roast Beef Sandwiches dripping with mouth-watering gravy / Eggs Creole, a brunch casserole perfect for guest / Shrimp & Grits – 2 recipes / Drick’s take on bouillabaisse and always a crowd pleaser / Duck & Sausage Gumbo / Mardi Gras Pick-Me-Ups / Cajun Pastalaya / Mardi Gras Shrimp Mold / Marinated Shrimp & Mushrooms
• My previous recipes & posts in this series: Cajun Chef Ryan ~ see more from this series: his Welcome to Mardi Gras 2010 / an awesome King Cake recipe / a parade tradition and fun post on Sloppy Joe’s with Sweet Potato Fries / see a little Paris in New Orleans & his Eggs Florentine Omelet / his New Orleans Roast Beef Poboy / the soul of New Orleans & his Chicken, Sausage, Shrimp Gumbo