So, what is Cafe Du Monde? It is simply a cafe established in 1862 that serves beignets and coffee around the clock. That's it. It serves no other food and its drinks options are limited to coffee, milk, orange juice and soda. But, it is so much more than a beignet shop...
First, let's talk about the beignets. For those unfamiliar with beignets, they are squares of fried dough drenched with powdered sugar. They are French in origin (they were brought to Louisiana by the Acadians), but have been made famous in New Orleans. You can find them all over New Orleans, but the ones at Cafe Du Monde are the best. They are always fresh and hot...always, no matter what time of day you come and how busy or slow the restaurant is (though it is rarely slow). When you bite into one, you get a mix of the crispiness and softness of the dough, then the sweet sweet powdered sugar. TIP -- do not wear something super fancy to Cafe Du Monde -- you WILL get powered sugar all over your clothes. But people, that is part of what makes this place so awesome! Just roll up your sleeves and bite in! You did not come to New Orleans to be worried about a little dirt or calories.
Cafe du Monde would not be Cafe du Monde without the coffee. This is not just normal coffee though. This is coffee and chicory -- another delicacy brought to Louisiana by the Acadians, but made famous in New Orleans. Chicory is the root of the endive plant. It adds such a depth of flavor and almost a chocolate taste to the coffee -- trust me, once you have tried it, you will be hooked! The best way to try the coffee and chicory is in a classic New Orleans cafe au lait, which consists of the coffee and chicory mixed half and half with hot milk. And it is fantastic -- the hot milk takes away the bitterness of the coffee and leaves you with a still quite strong, but much more smooth cup of coffee. However, if you are bold, go ahead and order the coffee black. At the very least, it will put hair on your chest! If you bring kids, don't worry, all New Orleans kids drink milk (chocolate or regular) with their beignets, so no need to dose your kids with caffeine just yet. Cafe Du Monde also serves Iced Coffee for those New Orleans days that are too hot and humid to drink hot coffee.
The final component that makes Cafe Du Monde great is the atmosphere. As in many great places in New Orleans, this place is old and as you can see in the pictures, looks pretty darn similar to how it has always looked. It is open 24-7 and it is located on Decatur Street in the French Market right at the edge of the French Quarter. It is only closed on Christmas Day, which is pretty perfect considering what a strong presence Catholicism has in New Orleans. No matter what time you go, there is great people watching to be had. I would highly recommend sitting outside as close to the street as possible. From that vantage point, you can watch the city go by. Regardless of where you sit, though, you certainly will be surrounded by interesting people. Not only is this a big tourist destination, but it is a big locals spot as well. So, if you listen carefully around you, you may pick up some tips as to the restaurant you should go to for dinner or the bar you should go to after dinner. My favorite times to go are in the morning for breakfast -- beignets and coffee make GREAT hangover food, which face it, you will need --- or after a night out on Bourbon Street so you can try to squash the hangover.
Cafe Du Monde is a "must-see" for anyone traveling to New Orleans. I love this place so much that I even had my post-wedding brunch there. And trust me, all of my hung over guests were more than happy with that choice!
Cafe Du Monde is a "must-see" for anyone traveling to New Orleans. I love this place so much that I even had my post-wedding brunch there. And trust me, all of my hung over guests were more than happy with that choice!
Cafe Du Monde
1039 Decatur Street
New Orleans, LA 70116
http://www.cafedumonde.com/
1-800-772-2927
Note: there are other locations around New Orleans, but I would strongly recommend visiting the original first.
