New Orleans - Cafe Du Monde,

I usually avoid tourist trap restaurants though occasionally succumb due to great location or encouragement from others.  So when I told people that we were headed down to New Orleans for Easter this year, and those that had been said "you have to have beignets at Cafe Du Monde" I smiled indulgently and nodded, having no intentions of falling in to the biggest tourist trap in New Orleans.

When we arrived in Jackson Square in the french quarter and looked towards the river there was this large outdoor cafe with a line up a mile long, Oh look at those silly tourists I'm not waiting in line for an hour for a doughnut! I smugly thought.

Jackson Square looking away from the river and Cafe Du Monde

Well after a couple of days in New Orleans much good music many cocktails and some really excellent food I was craving a good cup of coffee.  Coming from the caffeine soaked North west of North America, I was used to at least one coffee shop on every street corner. This was not the case in New Orleans, there were no end of places to get a drink, it seemed to be almost compulsory to have an alcoholic drink in your hands at all times.

A typical sign in the french quarter

                                                

Well at the end of a wonderful day the only thing missing was a good cup of coffee we looked over to Cafe Du Monde and the take out line up was only a couple of people. So my dear husband got in line while I found a place to sit in the square.  Much to my surprise he got two coffees and two bags of beignets, neither of us have much of a sweet tooth and rarely order dessert and if we do we share it.  I said that maybe we could eat some now and save the rest for later.  Any way I took a sip of my coffee and then Oh heaven I ate my first beignet.

Me eating a little puff of heaven

Yes there were no beignets left for later, we scarfed them down dripping icing sugar ever where, and I think the coffee was good too, though frankly it is hard to remember.

So if you ever go to New Orleans you must have beignet at Cafe Du Monde in Jackson square.  It is open 24 hours a day 7 days a week so there are no excuses.