No matter what you think about the French, you have to admit they make a pretty good doughnut.
After spending my morning walking around the French Quarter last week, I found my way onto Decatur street-where you'll find Cafe Du Monde: home of some of the world's best beignets. It's sort of like the IN-N-OUT burger of French doughnuts.
This bustling little coffee shop is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It was established in 1862 and only closes on Christmas day (and when the occasional hurricane strikes).
Once walking in, you'll find an array of tables. There's no host to guide you to a table, so it's best to grab your table before someone else gets to it.
I ordered beignets and a decaf coffee. The waitress asked me if I wanted it with milk, and I nodded yes. They don't have those little packaged creamers you find at most restaurants. The waiters and waitresses add the cream themselves. Ordering a coffee with milk is similar to ordering a latte.
The waitress walked away and I just enjoyed listening to the conversations of some waitresses on break and the family at the table next to me. One of the waitresses must have worked the night shift because she was slouched over on a bench smoking a cigarette. She looked like she'd worked for 24 hours straight. It would have been a really cool picture, but I didn't have the guts to take it.
After about 5 minutes, my waitress came back with my coffee and beignets. She told me that it costs $3.50, which I promptly paid.
At Cafe Du Monde, each waiter and waitress pays for your food when they order it. I watched a line of waiters ordering beignets and then paying for them at the counter. They handle so many orders a day, that it's the easiest way to track the money and ensure nobody walks out without paying.
So, the plate of beignets was sitting before me. Beignets are always served in threes and covered in powdered sugar. This holy trinity demands your whole attention. You must enjoy them while still warm.
I sip my hot coffee and take my first bite. The powdered sugar adds a delicate sweetness to the fried, warm bread below. The sugar almost acts as a blanket to keep the doughnut warm and cozy. I have to lick my lips because the powdered sugar is all over my mouth. I take another sip of coffee, and set down my beignet.
I wonder if heaven will be like this.
I could only finish eating two beignets. I really felt ashamed to leave the other one behind, but I had no other choice. I finished my coffee, took one last look at my last beignet and walked away. I dare not look back. I couldn't.
After spending my morning walking around the French Quarter last week, I found my way onto Decatur street-where you'll find Cafe Du Monde: home of some of the world's best beignets. It's sort of like the IN-N-OUT burger of French doughnuts.
This bustling little coffee shop is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It was established in 1862 and only closes on Christmas day (and when the occasional hurricane strikes).
Once walking in, you'll find an array of tables. There's no host to guide you to a table, so it's best to grab your table before someone else gets to it.
I ordered beignets and a decaf coffee. The waitress asked me if I wanted it with milk, and I nodded yes. They don't have those little packaged creamers you find at most restaurants. The waiters and waitresses add the cream themselves. Ordering a coffee with milk is similar to ordering a latte.
The waitress walked away and I just enjoyed listening to the conversations of some waitresses on break and the family at the table next to me. One of the waitresses must have worked the night shift because she was slouched over on a bench smoking a cigarette. She looked like she'd worked for 24 hours straight. It would have been a really cool picture, but I didn't have the guts to take it.
After about 5 minutes, my waitress came back with my coffee and beignets. She told me that it costs $3.50, which I promptly paid.
At Cafe Du Monde, each waiter and waitress pays for your food when they order it. I watched a line of waiters ordering beignets and then paying for them at the counter. They handle so many orders a day, that it's the easiest way to track the money and ensure nobody walks out without paying.
So, the plate of beignets was sitting before me. Beignets are always served in threes and covered in powdered sugar. This holy trinity demands your whole attention. You must enjoy them while still warm.
I sip my hot coffee and take my first bite. The powdered sugar adds a delicate sweetness to the fried, warm bread below. The sugar almost acts as a blanket to keep the doughnut warm and cozy. I have to lick my lips because the powdered sugar is all over my mouth. I take another sip of coffee, and set down my beignet.
I wonder if heaven will be like this.
I could only finish eating two beignets. I really felt ashamed to leave the other one behind, but I had no other choice. I finished my coffee, took one last look at my last beignet and walked away. I dare not look back. I couldn't.
posted by admin at 10:05 PM
3 Comments:
Hey, Mike,
I want to put your blog into my Bloglines.com feeds, but Bloglines.com tells me that you don't have your RSS/XML turned on. Any interest in turning that on so I can add you to my blog roll?
Yeah, how do I do that? I'm sort of clueless when it comes to RSS/XML.
I just stumbled across your blog & reading about the beignets at Cafe Du Monde instantly transported me back almost 20 years when I savored my first beignet! Reading your description of your visit there made my mouth water & I swear there was a tiny bit of drool rolling down my chin.
Note to self: Must go back to New Orleans for coffee & beignets at Cafe Du Monde!
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