The days seemed to whiz on by in New Orleans, leaving me with less and less time to hit all the “must eat” places recommended to me. But one stop I knew I had to make was Cafe du Monde. And considering I’m from the South (where we deep fry everything) who was I to argue with fried dough topped with powdered sugar?
Cafe du Monde is located near the French Market and the River, making it a beacon for tourists. So it was no surprise that the place was teaming with fanny packs, confused faces and screaming pre-schoolers (who really didn’t need anymore sugar). The place was a lot bigger than I expected and reminded me more of a 50’s diner than a coffee and beignet shop. And truthfully, that was a bit disappointing. I was looking for the intimate, laid back vibe, not the “Disney World during Summer break horror show of strollers” I found. But I was hungry and the beignets looked good, so we found a table and patiently waited for our server. She saw us and motioned that she would be over soon. It was very nice of her to acknowledge us, especially considering how packed it was and how harried she looked.
She was over soon enough and we both ordered a set of 3 beignets; I opted for hot chocolate and Daphne went for the coffee. Even though our server was busy, she was still very friendly and answered the few questions we had. While we waited for our order, I went to go take pictures of the kitchen and to get a better look around the place.
It definitely screamed tourist trap, with it’s souvenirs and kitchy retro diner decorations. But like everywhere else in New Orleans, the people were really friendly and (it turned out) the beignets were great! I asked our server where I could buy the mix and she said she could get it for me. Unlike around the French Quarter where I saw the mix being sold for anywhere between $4 and $6, it only cost me $2.55 for a box that makes 4 dozen beignets. I already have ideas for possible variations on the standard beignets, which I’m sure I will blog about…either raving about it’s success or crying miserably at the horror of ruining fried dough.
Stumble It!
Adventures in Shaw 
Cafe du Monde is great for a late-night beignet, but definitely not off the beaten path. Try the Blue Bird Cafe (3625 Prytania) for an intimate diner experience. It’s all about the huevos rancheros.
Jamie – I think you’re just rubbing it in that you’ll be in New Orleans this weekend and I won’t…So not fair!