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Coffee and Beignets



Today is our last day in New Orleans (we leave tomorrow morning) and I can't leave this city without a post about the coffee and beignets.  I was told by those who have been here I must go to Cafe Du Monde for coffee and beignets.  




So, I happily obliged.  It's not too far from our hotel, an easy walk.


This coffee stand has been here since 1862, a traditional coffee shop, in my favorite area of the French Quarter, the French Market area.  Here's what it use to look like.



I've seen lots of cafes for coffee and beignets, but this one is the largest and most popular.  It's full of old photos like the above photo tracing it's history.

So, what are beignets, you ask?  They are what everybody eats here, so must I! They are a cross between a French pastry and an American donut and are really, really, good!  The coffee here is different, too.  (Not Starbucks…)  When you order coffee and beignets, you really order either black coffee or Cafe Au Lait.  I thought the Cafe Au Lait would be like a latte but it's not.  It's half chicory root and half dark roasted coffee with hot milk - not steamed.  Chicory root, you ask?  It dates back to 1840 when coffee importation to New Orleans was blocked.  Taking a cue from their French roots, locals began to use chicory as a coffee substitute.  Today, it remains a popular coffee replacement or coffee flavoring in New Orleans.  It's not really strong tasting like I'm use to but good enough, slightly sweet from the milk.  It doesn't matter what it taste like because anything would taste delicious with those beignets.




This is all they serve here, too, and a few other types of beverages like milk, hot chocolate or juice.  Pretty simple, not a lot of decision making here.  The service is very efficient, they employ a bunch of people who just stand around and wait to serve you as soon as you sit down.  They sort of look like the Krispy Kreme servers.

People come here for one thing, coffee and beignets.  The beignet order comes in threes, so if you just want just one, too bad.  You must have three.  
Yesterday 

 This was my first time and when I first saw them, I thought "I can't eat these! These are so unhealthy!" But I had to try them since I was in New Orleans.  It's amazing how quickly they disappeared with that coffee.
Today

I was actually looking forward to my coffee and beignets again.  When I sat down and gave my order, I could feel my sense of eagerness.

Tomorrow

I can't wait!  

We leave early tomorrow but Cafe Du Monde is open 24 hours, 7 days a week (except Christmas or when a hurricane comes too close)  Bruce still hasn't had any because he always has convention stuff to do.  He's really missing out and thinks I'm crazy for eating these totally unhealthy things every  morning! Interestingly enough, I'm never hungry for lunch.  When you're just eating sugar and fat for breakfast…it really holds you over!
      
  









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