Cafe Du Monde Rocks My "Monde"
I am still in the arduous process of unpacking and acclimating to New Orleans (literally, the humidity is killing me), but I wanted to take a moment to share with you about a fabulous way to taste the the City of New Orleans.
A visit to New Orleans is not complete if you do not sample the illustrious Cafe Du Monde beignets (pronounced "been-yay") in the French Quarter.
A beignet is a doughy square that has been deep-fried until it has inflated into a golden-brown pillow of spongy, soft cake-like bread. Unlike a glazed Krispy Kreme donut with its glistening sheen, a beignet is not light or airy, and does not go down "smooth" without the need to chew. Unlike a danish or croissant, a beignet is not buttery, flaky, or overly rich. Rather, it is like a piping hot funnel cake freshly fried at the state fair. When you bite into a beignet, expect to be greeted with a hearty crunch as you break open the textured surface. The interior will release a plume of steam and I am sure you will be taken aback by the deep nooks, pockets, and tiny tunnels made by the yeast in the beignet. Although the fried beignet bread is good enough to eat alone, Cafe Du Monde generously blankets the hot fritters with mini-mountains of powdered confectioner's sugar. If you order the beignets take out, they provide you with a one to two pound bag of powdered sugar for you to "do the honors" yourself.
The classic accompaniment to a beignet, is Cafe Du Monde's cafe au lait, which is made with whole milk, ground coffee beans, and chicory. I am unfamiliar with chicory, but I must say, I was amazed at how silken and sweet the coffee was. I needed to be repeatedly convinced by our server that there was no sugar in the coffee. The coffee was fragrant and full-bodied, and as my friend the Taste Tester says about her wine, the coffee went down with a "smooth finish." There was no trace of bitterness or burnt coffee grounds at all.
If you are in the area, stop by Cafe Du Monde at any time of the day. They are open 24 hours--merci mon dieu for that!
I am still in the arduous process of unpacking and acclimating to New Orleans (literally, the humidity is killing me), but I wanted to take a moment to share with you about a fabulous way to taste the the City of New Orleans. 
A visit to New Orleans is not complete if you do not sample the illustrious Cafe Du Monde beignets (pronounced "been-yay") in the French Quarter.
The classic accompaniment to a beignet, is Cafe Du Monde's cafe au lait, which is made with whole milk, ground coffee beans, and chicory. I am unfamiliar with chicory, but I must say, I was amazed at how silken and sweet the coffee was. I needed to be repeatedly convinced by our server that there was no sugar in the coffee. The coffee was fragrant and full-bodied, and as my friend the Taste Tester says about her wine, the coffee went down with a "smooth finish." There was no trace of bitterness or burnt coffee grounds at all.
If you are in the area, stop by Cafe Du Monde at any time of the day. They are open 24 hours--merci mon dieu for that!
Is that much powdered sugar really necessary? I'm going to guess that the answer is "Yes; yes it is." Hope to take a bite of one someday!
ReplyDeleteMmm look at all that powdered sugar! They look sooo good! Can't wait to see more New Orleans eats!
ReplyDeletewow PE, that is a very fine looking breadthing! It sounds really good, but I'm one of those people who always seems to somehow inhale and choke on powdered sugar when they are on donuts... which in some ways enhances the experience, but can be a little traumatic. anyways, cool pix! does spritzing with a little spray botttle help with the humidity? at least your skin will benefit from the extra moisture. Good luck with the whole settling in thing!
ReplyDeleteGosh! Your description of the beignet is so mouth-watering! I need to go to New Orleans now!
ReplyDeletewow that is what i call someone really enjoying her food.
ReplyDeleteI must admit you are a passsionate eater :-)))
Must...find...recipe.
ReplyDeleteI got an opprtunity to visit new orleans and try these mouth watering desserts/ snacks. With there special coffee, these little fritters were heavenly. It was raining that night and coffee and beneigns were a perfect conbination to cheer up the spirits :)
ReplyDeleteWelcome to New Orleans. Beignets are great!!!
ReplyDeleteHi PE - Your photos and descriptions have made me realize again, that the beignets I've had have been very poor fascimiles! These look beignet-licious.
ReplyDeleteI love Cafe du Monde's beignets. They are so excellent. I've made beignets here at home in the San Francisco Bay Area, and it's just not the same as eating them in New Orleans, sitting along the Mississippi, and hearing a little jazz in the distance.
ReplyDeleteAh, yes, the pleasure of a freshly baked beignet is unparalleled. Your description is right on! It was the first treat my husband and I had when we visited New Orleans, and we remember it fondly.
ReplyDeleteThis does sound killer...spongy, soft, fried, and sugar. Yum. I like the Chinese version of this...can get it at dim sum restaurant, it's like this ball like thingy coated with caster sugar...in Cantonese it's called "sar yong."
ReplyDelete'been-yay?" don't think so. 'bayn-yay' yes.
ReplyDeleteI knew you'd like it! :) And wait, you've never had their coffee before? That's a staple in almost every VNese household!
ReplyDeleteWhat a way tostart food posts from NOLA! I could almost smell your coffee and hear the crunch of the beignets! Thank God just reading these posts can't make you fat!
ReplyDeletemmmmm, i love cafe du monde! i'm glad to hear you're safe & sound in new orleans and that you're getting to explore a lot of its good eats! take care PE!
ReplyDeleteThey remind me of malasadas in Hawaii, but they use regular sugar instead of powdered sugar. I'm not into deep-fried doughnuts, etc., but I guess if I ever get to New Orleans, I have to try at least one. Or two. OK, maybe a dozen. Just for taste-testing.
ReplyDeletegreat post! in my humble opinion, i think eating a bunch of beignets at 1 am on a weeknight is a quintessential new orleans experience -- and for some reason those delicious fried things don't feel like a rock in your stomach like krispy kremes do!
ReplyDeletei hope you make it to la crepe nanou soon and that you are feeling more settled in from your move. thank you for this post and your wonderful blog -- keep up the good work! :)
I LOVE LOVE LOVE Cafe Du Monde! Haven't been in New Orleans in 10 years but I still remember the beignets and coffee.
ReplyDeleteI missed my opportunity during my first visit to Nola a decade ago to try these. Hope I can try 'em again when I visit next. But man, are you kidding me with the pound of powdered sugar?!
ReplyDeleteWelcome back!!! :D
ReplyDeleteI saw the word "fried"...some powdered sugar with fried bread for me, please.
hiya! glad your getting settled - that humidity can be a killer!! so funny the one time I was in New Orleans, i had one of thise very coffees at cafe du mond. i didn't try anything else but distinctly remember liking the bitterness of the chicory.
ReplyDeletehopefully the moving process hasn't been to much of a pain in the arse, i know that can be!!
god how i miss a really good beignet!! looks spectacular. glad to see you have started off in new oreleans on the right foot!
ReplyDeleteFried dough? I'm there!
ReplyDeleteOh P.E. I am so glad you have arrived safely but even 'glader' you are eating for the blog again!.
ReplyDeleteI never had a beignet. I don't think I will ever be going to St Louis again.(insert very sad face here.)
They sound wonderful.
Looking forward to your other treats.
Thanks for all of your kind words! I am so glad to be back after my hiatus! But most of all, I am glad to see all of you again! I missed everyone!
ReplyDeleteI adore New Orleans, Beignets, Cafe Du Monde and especially Cafe au Lait New Orlenas Style! I fell in love with that city over 10 years ago and I cannot wait until I walk the streets of the French Quarter once again!
ReplyDeleteWelcome to The Foodie Blogroll!!!
holy cow! That much sugar makes me shiver... They had a version of a kind of fry bread in Greece when we were there. But I bet there is nothing quite as tasty and unhealthy as a true New Orleans beignet.
ReplyDeleteHi PE, did you ever have the ones at Just For You cafe in SF? That was the first time i've ever had a beignet and I still remember how excited I was to try it.
ReplyDeleteYou know what would be good too with powdered sugar? Chinese donuts (you tiao/yau ja gwai/quay). There's an idea haha.
Dear Passionate Eater, I am also a fellow New Orleans lover, and total beignet fanatic from the one and only Cafe DuMonde ... There's nothing in the world any better than sittin at the Cafe .listening to music and having their beignets and coffee. ...I presently reside in SC and will have to miss MG2008 this year, much to my dismay...so please eat a few dozen and think of me !! Happy Mardi Gras to all !!! Much love to everyone in my favorite city of Nawlin's
ReplyDeleteTHEY ARE ABSOLUTELY TO DIE FOR !!! I'm from La but haven't been to Cafe' Du Monde in far too long ! Makes me homesick...
ReplyDelete