The weather while we were there was perfect. It was hot and humid, especially the day we arrived, but there was no sign of rain. I met up with a coworker at the airport and after checking into our hotel, we grabbed a quick lunch at a small restaurant (its name escapes me now). I had red beans and rice with sausage and a side salad. It tasted pretty good after I doused it with hot sauce. After lunch my coworker headed off for a walking tour of the Garden District and I set off to explore the French Quarter.
My first stop was Café Du Monde, the place to get beignets and café au lait. It is an open air café near the French Market that opened in 1862 and serves little more than coffee (in several variations) and beignets. The prices are very reasonable: $1.37 for a plate of three beignets and $1.37 for café au lait. Because of the heat, I opted for an iced coffee with my beignets. My order arrived quickly. The beignets were hot and buried under a mountain of powdered sugar. There is no way to eat these things daintily and there is little chance that you will escape without the tell-tale signs of powdered sugar on your clothes. Beignets are basically donuts with powdered sugar and will probably put you well over your daily allowance of fat grams, but eating beignets at Café Du Monde is a quintessential New Orleans experience.
6 comments:
Wow, I can't say it too many times: "Oh, how much I love New Orleans." The first time I went there I also had red beans and rice with sausage as my first meal. I remember that it was from The Gumbo Shop in the French Quarter (which I highly recommend). I had beignets and coffee the next morning at Cafe Du Monde, which is, as you say, the requisite New Orleans stop. Glad you had a good time! I can't wait 'til I'm there again!
Alice
Glad to have you back, safe and sound! Sounds like a really nice trip. I went to New Orleans 13 years ago (And was 12 at the time, so imagine my non-excisting interest of food!) - can't wait to go back one day! Uhm, beignets - my sister's dad does them really well - I have to convince him to give me the recipe...
Hi Cathy,
Welcome back! I'm glad you made it back safely. I'm glad you enjoyed your trip, and yes, New Orleans is quite humid at this time of the year. I haven't been there since 2001 and I'm planning on going back again soon. Looking forward to hearing more of your adventures there.
Hi Alice - Thanks! It was a good trip - My sightseeing was pretty much limited to the French Quarter and a streetcar ride on St. Charles, but I enjoyed it very much.
Thanks Zarah! - I was a little frustrated with my dining choices in New Orleans. Actually, the problem was I wasn't able to make many of those choices myself - that and my little hangup about seafood. I did have a couple of very good meals - but none of the really spicy food I was hoping for!
Hi Reid! - Thanks! I plan to write a little more about New Orleans - I just need to set aside some time to do it!
Oh, Café Du Monde! Beignets! I’ve been there several times about 10 years ago, and now I miss that place so much. Was your iced coffee flavored with chicory?
Hi Obachan - no, I'm pretty sure it wasn't. I've never had coffee with chicory and before my visit I fully intended to try it. Unfortunately, the afternoon I stopped in at Café Du Monde was so hot, there was no way I could drink hot coffee. Chicory did not seem to be an option for the iced coffee. Oh well - maybe next time!
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