Pop Culture Cuisine

Hello gang…welcome to another week of yumminess; and although this week’s post is going to be shorter than some of the others (since I am at this moment getting ready to hop on a plane to Boston to visit my best friend as well as try out some PCC worthy spots), this week we get really yummy!  Having just returned from New Orleans a week ago, I’ve had many of N’awlins cuisine on the brain, almost sickeningly so!  This is largely because we visited 5 ‘Pop Culture Cuisine’ worthy places and having been discussing them ever since.  We tried a lot of dishes…some good and some not so good, but you will just have to stick around and see the reviews we give some of the Crecent City’s finest culinary hot spots.  But speaking of hot spots, there is one place that we visited on our first trip last year that will forever hold a special place in my heart…the world-famous Cafe du Monde, a landmark cafe in the French Market (French Quarter) since 1862.

We didn’t make it there this time around, although I really wish we had.  However, last March Adam and I visited New Orleans to celebrate his birthday.  New Orleans is a city that is renowned for its cuisine, and there are countless options to appease whatever your appetite, famous and non-famous alike; and Cafe du Monde is likely the most well known and famous of them all and a MUST visit for any first time visitor.  We have seen this famous cafe on a variety of programs (briefly featured on Travel Channel’s Man vs. Food, a variety of travel shows featuring hosts like Samantha Brown and Rachel Ray, etc., and has been in countless magazine editorials…just Google it ;)), and Adam had been there on previous trips.  For me, however, this was my first. 

We chose to visit on a Saturday morning, which brought with it a pretty substantial line.  However, to be honest, the line moved a lot quicker than I expected, and soon we were sitting inside this historic landmark…

Now if you are not familiar with Cafe du Monde, they serve only a few items…beignets, coffee, cafe au lait, and hot chocolate; so, while tasty, this is not a full hardy breakfast that will last you long.  And, Oh….what is a beignet you ask?  These are beignets…

…a traditional triangular French pastry/doughnut that amounts to fried powdered sugary goodness! ;)  I chose to have mine with a hot chocolate, so needless to say I was running on pure sugar after this meal.

So….these were amazing!  They taste like a doughier version of a funnel cake, and are fun to eat because powdered sugar literally flies everywhere, hahaha.  We were quite a mess when we were done with these.  Again, I’ll mention these are not super filling, and I was definitely hungry again not long after, so I would maybe try to have them as a dessert (which we may or may not have done that night after one too many hurricanes…whoops!) ;-) 

…Look how happy I look, clearly suffering from an intense amount of sugar overload.  But in all seriousness, if you are a person who loves doughnuts, elephant ears, funnel cakes, or any other fried dough concoction, you definitely need to give beignets and Cafe Du Monde a try.  I know fried foods are supposed to be the devil, but if we are honest with ourselves, they are pure heaven every once in awhile.  I wouldn’t eat these every day, but once annually can’t hurt right? ;) 

As I said, sadly we did not make it here again this year, largely due to sleeping in late, trying too many other restaurants, and Adam feeling a tad under the weather.  But I can tell you that this is a spot I know I want to try again in my lifetime; and I did “act the tourist” and buy a box of “do it yourself” beignet mix.  Yeah I did…and now I have to actually make them or I will hear it from Adam. So stay tuned…one of these months homemade beignets may show their face as a successful (I hope) recipe of the month!  But in the meantime, without any further ado…I give you the rating for Cafe du Monde:

SIGNATURE DISH: Umm, SERIOUSLY!  Beignets…silly. 😉

TASTE: Fried, soft, delectable, and powdered sugary…dare I say it, pure deliciousness at its finest.

AMBIANCE: Located in the heart of the French Quarter, it feels like you stepped into a traditional French cafe with its simple tables located underneath a green and white striped awning with people buzzing about; and what makes it so fun is that while people are everywhere, powdered sugar is doing the same thing. :)  So, although the beignets are such a simple dish, it is made more fun and exciting by its surroundings.

SERVICE:  Due to the extreme busyness of the restaurant at all times, I would have to say that the service is not stellar.  Although it did not take too long to get our items, just be prepared to make your order the minute they show up to your table or your server might just walk away (AND THIS HAPPENED ACTUALLY TO US…SERIOUSLY!!!); and if you need anything else, the chances are not great your will see a waiter again.  Adam says it has always been like this every time he’s been, so I think it’s pretty standard. 

PRICE:  Very reasonable.  For 6 beignets and 2 hot chocolates it cost us less than $10.  Great Deal!

So Cafe Du Monde, aside from the service, you are almost perfect…and I can’t wait to return some day.  Fittingly, I give you a well deserved 4 ‘Little Piggies’ or rather ‘Petit Cochons’ (French for Little Piggies ;))