Conveniently located near the French Market in New Orleans, Cafe Du Monde’s legendary beignets and cafe au lait are served around the clock. Dissuaded by the long line of people on Saturday morning, however, my first attempt at these famous beignets was a total bust. Before heading back at 10:00 p.m. for another shot at these guilty pleasures, I enjoyed a leisurely stroll around the French Quarter poking around antiquarian bookshops and wandering through art markets on Frenchman Street.
Fresh Beignets
Upon return to Cafe Du Monde, I quickly found a seat on the covered patio. A friendly server smiled as he approached our small, round cafe table. With much anticipation, I placed an order that’s been on my list for a long time: “One order of fresh, hot beignets and a cafe au lait, please!”
Within moments, he returned with a plate of hot beignets piled high with powdered sugar. Because the kitchen heaps powdered sugar directly on to the beignets after frying, a thin layer of sugar melts onto the top of the crisp, yet delicate dough of the beignet just underneath the loose pile of powder. One small taste of this light yet decadent treat confirms Cafe Du Monde’s reputation for these wonderful beignets!
Fresh, hot beignets piled high with powdered sugar
Cafe Au Lait
A trip to Cafe Du Monde would not be complete without a frothy mug of cafe au lait featuring New Orleans’ celebrated brew of coffee and chicory. According to Cafe Du Monde, a “taste for coffee and chicory was developed by the French during their civil war.” As I sipped my own mug of this unique brew, I found that the slightly bitter chocolate notes of my own cafe au lait complimented the sweet beignets perfectly.
Slightly bitter chocolate notes of this cafe au lait compliments the sweet beignets.
Cafe Du Monde Quick Tips
If you want to enjoy this treat yourself, here are a few quick tips. First, consider going to Cafe Du Monde during off hours to avoid the crowd. Life is way too short to spend hours in line! Second, avoid wearing black as you WILL get powdered sugar all over your clothes. Now, this next tip just might save your life. Do NOT breathe in whilst biting into a beignet covered with loose powdered sugar! And finally, for those of you heading over to Cafe Du Monde right before bed, yes… they do serve decaf!
