Pleassant environment, wonderful coffee accompanied by great beignets .
Disadvantages:
Its in far flung New Orleans .
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
In case anyone complains that this should be in the cafe category, I had asked for this to be created in a new cafe category for New Orleans. Unfortunately, this has not happened. I don't know what to do ... anyway, onward with the story ...
Cafe du Monde ... is a famous landmark in New Orleans. Ask anyone there. It was in the movie Runaway Jury starring both John Cusack and Rachel Weisz.
It has served as a turning point of my life and I thought I'll share this little cafe with you.
Extremely Short History ----------------------- The original Cafe du Monde was started by Fred Koeniger in 1862. In 1942, it was bought be the Fernandez Family. Til this day, it is still owned by the Fernandez family and Cafe du Monde serves their infamous coffee and beignets in the original coffee stand in the French Market area of New Orleans.
The building itself, is historic. Built in 1813 to replace a previous one which was destroyed by hurricane. Before it became the coffee stand as it is today, it was the Butcher's Market.
What they serve --------------- Coffee of course! But Cafe du Monde is famous for two specialties; their coffee and beignets. First, lets discuss the coffee. I've only tried their black coffee, made especially strong for me, while my husband's usual is the cappuccino. Their blend of coffee includes chicory.
Now, according to Cafe du Monde, chicory is the root of a type of lettuce. They take the root, have it roasted and grounded before adding it to the coffee. From my conversation with the waiters, this is supposed to soften the bitter edge of the roasted coffee.
Honestly, in my case, I like mine strong and bitter. And the combination of coffee and beignets, removes the bitterness altogether.
Back to the coffee, most people order their cafe au lait, which is really half coffee and half milk. Not something I like. And in recent days, they have also started serving both iced coffee and orange juice. Definitely worth trying on those hot humid days in July and August. Decaffeinated coffee are also available but I did not taste those.
Beignets are fried donuts, without the holes, coated with powdered sugar. You have to taste these to be believed. I made a fool of myself, coating my face with the powdered sugar! It gets just about everywhere. As mentioned previously, it goes really well with coffee. I bought a packet of beignet mixture to try making at home and none of them turned out like the ones made at the Cafe. Beignets are square and puffy while mine tended to be flatter.
IMHO, their coffee tasted hot and strong. Strong enough to wake me as well as in taste. Combined this with the sugary beignets, lets just say, I felt both high and happy.
Pricewise, its one of the cheapest I have found in the US. The last time I was there, it costs something like $1.50 for coffee and beignets for 2 were around $3.00. A serving of beignets consists of 3 donuts, so the 2 of us had 6 beignets to share. So, for less than 10 dollars, we had an enjoyable time!
The Cafe -------- There are several branches of Cafe du Monde in New Orleans. The only one I patronised during my visits there had been the original one in the French Market area in the French Quarter. It is opened round the clock, closing only on Christmas day and for the occasional hurricane. It is full of atmosphere, plenty of patrons at all hours of the day and night.
From the outside sheltered sitting, one could watch the people around Jackson Square, listen to the street musicians entertain the pedestrians as well as watch the river cruises along the Mississippi River.
A most pleasant experience at all times. I found it useful to get over the jetlag, relaxing after long meetings, both late nights and early mornings.
Souvenirs to buy ---------------- They sell books, mugs, coffee as well as the dough mixture for the beignets. I have seen hampers in their shops but never bothered to take a closer look. For those interested, these can be bought from their website.
Conclusions ----------- I will always have fond memories of Cafe du Monde. The atmosphere coupled with great coffee and beignets make an irresistible combination. One can sit there with a coffee and contemplate life without being hurried. Time, has its own meaning and takes on a different dimension.
Why did I choose this place as a turning point of my life? Well, world events took a disastrous turn while I was in New Orleans and my stay there was extended. Given the extra time in New Orleans, I had the opportunity to evaluate my life and came to the conclusion that I was tired. Really tired of work and travelling, not for pleasure but work.
Since then, my travels have been mainly for pleasure and I am much happier now. Cafe du Monde, is really the cafe of my world.
Further Information ------------------- Cafe du Monde 800 Decatur Street, New Orleans Opposite Jackson Square, at the end of St. Ann Street. www.cafedumonde.com
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