By my 4th day in the big easy, I still hadn't tried the coffee or eaten any beignets. This was worrying to me, so I pulled myself out of the hotel room, and hit Bourbon in search of Cafe Beignet. There are 3 different locations (as there often are with many bars or cafe's in the French Quarter) and I chose the larger location on Bourbon. Cafe Beignet is a large outdoor courtyward, with a full bar and ordering counter in the rear. At the entrance, there are bronzed statues of New Orleans music legends (Fats Domino, Pete Fountain, and Al "Jumbo" Hirt) and to the right, there is small stage where daily/nightly live music is played. It has a very spacious and relaxed feel, with tables and chairs scattered about and always buzzing with activity. Cafe Beignet offers typical cafe fare. Breakfast, sandwiches and a few Cajun dishes. I went to the ordering counter and was greeted by quite possibly the friendliest punk rock girl I have ever seen. I ordered the coffee and chicory, and 3 beignets ($2.69...for 3 of them!) My coffee came up in a few minutes, and they then instruct you to sit so the server can bring your food to you. So, I went and sat in what was the tiniest and most uncomfortable chair I've ever encountered. No big deal...when in Rome! About 10 minutes later, they arrived.
I have always heard these are good, but that's kind of an understatement. Being someone who doesn't have much of a sweet tooth, I greatly appreciated the balance of savory to sweet. They were warm, soft (but not too soft..) and comparable to a funnel cake (or "elephant ears") that you would get at a local fair. Being a novice beignet eater, I exhaled while eating! Even when I learned from my mistake, I still got sugar all over me. These are quite messy, but they are truly a little piece of heaven!! A must have on a day (or night) trip to the French Quarter!
http://www.cafebeignet.com/index.html
No comments:
Post a Comment