Cafe Du Monde, New Orleans

by Maura

I consider myself a lucky, lucky girl to have spent the past weekend in New Orleans with sixty awesome women. Thanks to the organizers of the Blathering, I had a wonderful time socializing and eating delicious food. The epicurean highlight of my trip was the beignets and coffee at Cafe Du Monde.

(Image Credit: Wikipedia)

These delightful pieces of fried dough are better than any funnel cake you've ever had. They are slightly crispy on the outside, soft and doughy on the inside. Coated in a thick layer of powdered sugar, these beignets melt in your mouth. The beignets at Cafe Du Monde were different than any other beignets I've ever eaten -- slightly denser and square. You can buy the beignet mix at almost any souvenir shop in New Orleans, although I don't know how they could compare to the original.

(Image credit: Cafe Du Monde)

The coffee, too, was incredible; a mix of dark French Roast coffee and chickory. According to Cafe Du Monde's website, the combination of coffee and chickory was discovered by the French during the French Revolution. Coffee was scarce, and the French added roasted, ground chickory to improve the body and flavor to weak coffee. Additionally, the chickory -- which is the root of the endive plant -- softens the bitterness of dark roasted coffee. I brought back a can of Cafe Du Monde's coffee to share with my fiance. 

Have you been to Cafe Du Monde?

Comments

[Ashley M.]

My dad is originally from New Orleans, and so we ALWAYS had a box of Cafe Du Monde beignet mix in our house. Let me tell you, the box mix is JUST as good as the original. Totally worth it :-)

[Christy M]

I have the Cafe Du Monde beignet mix at home. I found it at World Market. Having never had the original, I thought they were pretty good, but if I was going to go to the trouble of frying something in my own house, I would just as soon make cider doughnuts or something.

[Em]

I went in 2003 on spring break. I still have the mug I purchased there and it's one of my favorites.

[Jesabes]

I might need to buy some of that coffee mix because it was really good. I wish I'd had it more than once while we were there!

[Irmaco]

I consider myself a lucky, lucky girl to have spent the past weekend in New Orleans with sixty awesome women.