CAFE DU MONDE - NEW ORLEANS, LA

CAFE DU MONDE

NEW ORLEANS, LA

A trip to New Orleans would not be complete without a stop at Cafe Du Monde.  I love the menu here. Beignets and Coffee and that is it. Simple and delicious.  An order of (3) Beignets is $2.42.  Coffee is $2.50 to $3.50 depending on size. Beignets are nothing more than fried dough covered in powdered sugar.  The fact that the cafe stays open 24 hours a day, seven days a week is a testament to its success. People line up to get into this place.  Tables are turned quickly by the staff who are all business.  Not much chit chat.  Just take the order and get it on the table as fast as possible.  As you enter Cafe Du Monde it is every man for himself.  This means that if you see an open table - grab it!

The Original Cafe Du Monde Coffee Stand was established in 1862 in the New Orleans French Market. The Cafe is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It closes only on Christmas Day and on the day an occasional Hurricane passes too close to New Orleans.

Beignets were also brought to Louisiana by the Acadians. These were fried fritters, sometimes filled with fruit. Today, the beignet is a square piece of dough, fried and covered with powdered sugar. They are served in orders of three.

The taste for coffee and chicory was developed by the French during their civil war. Coffee was scarce during those times, and they found that chicory added body and flavor to the brew. The Acadians from Nova Scotia brought this taste and many other french customs (heritage) to Louisiana. Chicory is the root of the endive plant. Endive is a type of lettuce. The root of the plant is roasted and ground. It is added to the coffee to soften the bitter edge of the dark roasted coffee. It adds an almost chocolate flavor to the Cafe Au Lait served at Cafe Du Monde.

CAFE DU MONDE

CAFE DU MONDE OPENED IN 1862 AND IS OPEN 24 HOURS A DAY,
SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.  ONLY CLOSES ON CHRISTMAS

LARGE OPEN AIR SEATING AREA IS GREAT FOR PEOPLE WATCHING

SIMPLE MENU OF BEIGNETS AND COFFEE

WAITERS AND WAITRESSES LINED UP WITH ORDERS

IF YOU SEE AN OPEN TABLE - GRAB IT!

THE WORLD FAMOUS BEIGNETS

LIGHT ON THE INSIDE

CAFE DU MONDE CHICORY COFFEE

DAY TWO IN THE BIG EASY

CAFE DU MONDE
Jackson Square

A trip to New Orleans must include a visit to Cafe Du Monde. After a brief wait in the rain, we were seated and served quickly. The menu is minimal. Coffee and Beignets. We enjoyed a serving of (3) Beignets (Square doughnut with powdered sugar) and two cups of coffee and a hot chocolate for $8. This is a great way to start any morning in New Orleans. After the Beignets, we took a stroll around Jackson Square taking in the small shops and beautiful gardens and park. Our walk quickly took us to our next meal.

JOHNNY'S PO-BOY RESTAURANT
511 St. Louis Street

Johnny's was highly recommended by a local New Orleans food critic. We entered to find a small (hole in the wall type) restaurant filled with locals, military and tourists. The short wait in line ended in a very friendly welcome from the counter girl. We ordered from the menu printed above the cooking line. One craw fish po-boy and one roast beef po-poy with lettuce and tomato plus a bowl of seafood chowder. These are large (8" or so) rolls filled with a wide assortment of meats, seafood and almost everything you can think of including french fries, crab cakes, oysters, pork chops and cat fish. The crawfish po-boy was simply fried crawfish with lettuce, tomato and mayonaise. Not too much flavor, but good. The roast beef po-boy was filled with great flavor and big on the meat. The gumbo was good, but not as good as Brennan's. The entire meal including two drinks was $25. I would probably try another po-boy restaurant before going back to Johnny's just for comparison.

EMERIL'S
800 Tchoupitoulas Street

Emeril's is the flagship restaurant of Emeril Laggase of the Food Network. I have dined in his restaurants in Orlando and Las Vegas. After careful review, his New Orleans restaurant is the best of all. The entire meal was absolutely fantastic. We began our meal with Sweet Shrimp Hush Puppies with Southwest Cole Slaw. This dish was perfect. I wanted to order a side of the Cole Slaw it was so good. We followed this dish with the sauteed Escargo on a bed of shelled pasta with sun dried tomato and basil. This could have been a main course. Perfect in every way. Our daughter enjoyed pasta with exotic mushrooms. For a six year old that does not eat mushrooms, she ate every thing on the plate. We then proceeded to enjoy a duct confit salad with roasted beets and gargonzola cheese. Again this was amazing. Our main dishes were a Mediteranian Sea Bass with lump crab over a creamy mashed potato and a Main Cod with Little Neck Clams with Fingerling potaotos and sauteed Kale. Both dishes were great. There was nothing left on any of the plates served at Emeril's. "For desert we enjoyed a chocolate truffle tort served with fresh berries and creme. This was a chocolate lovers dream and an excellent end to a truly great meal. With each course, Emeril's suggests a wine pairing. I enjoyed two great glasses of wine that were perfect with the meal. The service is excellent and the kitchen runs like a well oiled machine. Truly professional in every way.
We would highly recommend a visit to Emeril's.