Carnival A-Z: Antoine's
Wed, January 6, 2010 at 12:12 Antoine's ties to Carnival are rooted quite deeply. Eating in New Orleans oldest restaurant (and in my opinion one of its best), one will easily notice that one of the dining rooms is named the Proteus Room, the Bar is named for the Krewe of Hermes, and the most elaborate/shocking/eye-catching room in the restaurant is the blazing monument to REX and the School of Design. Those who haven’t been upstairs likely do not know of the truly elegant Twelfth Nigh Revelers room.
These rooms are not the only connection Antoine’s has with Carnival though. Antoine’s serves the cuisine which fuels many a masker through his festivities. Tonight members of TNR will dine here before adjourning to their ball to hail their monarch, the Lord of Misrule. Every year the past Kings of Carnival welcome their newest peer to “the club” with dinner here. On Lundi Gras the Krewe of Proteus has lunch here for guests and members before they prepare to ride through the streets during the evening. Then on Mardi Gras evening, a group of men carrying cow bells and rakes dine here then parade through the streets handing out cups with the Cowbellion emblem and doubloons depicting the theme for that years ball of the Mystick Krewe of Comus.
If that isn’t enough to convince you, maybe the fact that the Hermes Bar may be the only place in the city to still sell Ojen, the key ingredient in the traditional Carnival drink – the Ojen Frappe, might. So, in honor of Carnival Season, go have some Shrimp Remoulade and Trout Meunier or Chicken Rochambeau and Caramel Custard.
Reader Comments (6)
How do you pronounce Ojen? Both conventionally, and in New Orleans?
pronounced "Oh-Hen"
Three other wonderful events are held at Antoine's, the annual Rex Luncheon, traditionally held at noon on the Wednesday before Shrove Tuesday, a Hermes luncheon the Friday before Shrove Tuesday, and the Proteus Luncheon, held at 11 a.m. on the eve of the Big Day. At the Rex luncheon, the former Queens of Carnival gather for cocktails in the Proteus Room, followed by lunch in the (where else?) Rex Room of Antoine's Members and guests gather at private tables to toast Rex, and the afternoon includes the arrival of the Rex lieutenants, accompanied by jazz bands, followed by an informal gathering on the Royal Street pedestrian mall to continue the celebration into the late afternoon. Hermes members gather at Antoine's and other French Quarter venues to celebrate the formal revels of the previous evening and to fortify themselves and their guests for their walking parade, tracing the group's traditional route through the Vieux Carre, and ending at the Hilton Hotel, where members board transportation to their den from which they embark on their torchlit evening parade. Merrymakers fill the restaurant for the Proteus luncheon, where toasts are raised to the Sea God, and, in a private room, to and among the Rex Royalty who will appear the next day. The final fortnight of Carnival is, indeed, magically filled with high spirits and festivities, causing many revelers to wonder how many filets, sazeracs, and ojens they can ingest before death by red meat and anisette eventuates.
Carne Vale,
Thanks for this info.
You're most welcome! I truly enjoy reading your blog.
I'm really glad you enjoy it. Please keep reading and commenting on articles on which you have anything thing to say at all. Also please feel free to contact me for what ever reason you may see fit.