Chicory Coffee and Beignets: A Review of New Orleans' Café Du Monde

It should be illegal to visit New Orleans without making a stop at the French Market's famed Café Du Monde coffee stand. Denying your senses from indulging in the wonderful tastes, smells, sights and sounds would simply be negligent and cruel. So don't risk missing out on such a wonderful experience and make sure you add this stop to your trip agenda.

The French Market Location of Café Du Monde was established in 1862. And while it bares the title of "coffee stand," it is much more grand than the image the words "coffee stand" summon up in my mind. Where I'm from, a coffee stand is a small, street kiosk where you go to pick up a watered down cup of Sanka, a newspaper, and a pack of parliaments from a sour faced man named Al. Café Du Monde, on the other hand, is a romantic, French inspired coffee shop that is situated in a large open air patio on Decatur Street, opposite to some of the greatest people watching and live music in the French Quarter. I found Café Du Monde on the first day of my trip and I made it a point to return several times before my one week trip was over.

Now, I must warn you, Café Du Monde is not a restaurant-coffee shop where you might expect to encounter breakfast sandwiches and hot cakes. Its menu is simple and consists only of dark roasted coffee and chicory, beignets, soft drinks, milk (white or chocolate) and fresh squeezed orange juice. So if you are hungry for a lumberjack's breakfast, I suggest you go elsewhere and then return later in the day when your intentions are more focused on relaxation, people watching, conversation and a caffeine and/or sugar pick-me-up.

I would strongly recommend the coffee and chicory "café au lait" and an order of beignets, which consists of three pieces. I will explain what these things are for those of you who may not have experienced them yet.

The French were the first to use the combination of coffee and chicory during their civil war. Coffee was hard to come by during those times and they found that adding chicory to their coffee gave it a more flavorful taste. Chicory comes from the root of the endive (lettuce) plant. The root is roasted and ground and added to the coffee. I found the flavor to be smooth and much less bitter than you would expect from a dark roasted coffee. I also ordered my "au lait" which simply means "with milk or cream." As I inhaled the rich aroma of my chicory coffee and tasted its smooth, creamy flavor, I silently thanked the Acadians from Nova Scotia who brought this French custom to Louisiana. Little did I know, I would be saying yet another silent "thank you" to them later when my beignets arrived.

Café du Monde -styled beignets are square shaped donuts or "fritters" that are covered in powdered sugar. They are absolutely delightful and go well with the coffee served there. While three may be plenty to share between friends, if you have a sweet tooth like me, you will want to have your own order.

So, next time you are in New Orleans, make sure you take the time to treat yourself to all of the delights of Café du Monde. I know I will be going back!