How was it? Ditto for what you had at the Café du Monde, which from what I gather is famous for its "beignets" and for its café au lait (very similar to what Italians call a caffè latte), though at the Café du Monde I believe they add chicory. I had something very similar a few times at an Indian restaurant in Edison or Piscataway, and they called it "Madras coffee". Anyway, on a scale from 0 for "massive letdown" to 10 for "OMG, you've GOT to try this at least once in your lifetime", how would you rate what you had at those places?
The beignets were pretty damn good, so a 9 or 10. The cafe au lair, I would probably say was a bit overrated, maybe a 6 or 7. But maybe that's because it was 100 Fahrenheit, full humidity, and I foolishly got a hot one. Today, it was even hotter, briefly reading 107 on the car's temperature reading. Too damn hot.
Yeah, that's the thing with hot drinks in hot weather. You're fine drinking them indoors with the A/C on, but as soon as you go back outside... I'm glad you tried that place, though. I think it's safe to say that the Café du Monde is a must for any first-time visitor to the Big Easy.
Oh, and what about the po'boy? Was it something really different, or was it a glorified sub? Also, does Sébastien now also enjoy coffee, or are his feelings about it essentially unchanged from when he was little?
The Po'boys are fantastic. Hard bread on the outside, but soft almost to the point of melting in your mouth as you eat them. The place where we ate specialized in roast beef, and it was indeed very good. Sebastien is still not a huge fan of coffee, no.
Sounds like something I'll definitely have to try if I ever make it down there, then. (Mind you, odds are I would do so regardless, but your feedback is encouraging.) And I agree that French bread (or something similar to it) is definitely better for sandwiches than the stuff they use at Blimpie, Subway, Quiznos, etc.
Yes. There is definitely a French feel to New Orleans, including the food and restaurants. This is the only city in the United States that has a European district. And you definitely feel that it is European in style. More relaxed, more focused on architectural beauty and leisure spots. And the fact that it likely is the most distinctive city and region in terms of having its own cuisine (as well as music) says a lot about it. At some point, I heard New Orleans/Cajun cuisine is basically French food cooked beyond reason, and then cooked still a little more. Might be true. But it was definitely delicious.
How was it? Ditto for what you had at the Café du Monde, which from what I gather is famous for its "beignets" and for its café au lait (very similar to what Italians call a caffè latte), though at the Café du Monde I believe they add chicory. I had something very similar a few times at an Indian restaurant in Edison or Piscataway, and they called it "Madras coffee". Anyway, on a scale from 0 for "massive letdown" to 10 for "OMG, you've GOT to try this at least once in your lifetime", how would you rate what you had at those places?
ReplyDeleteThe beignets were pretty damn good, so a 9 or 10. The cafe au lair, I would probably say was a bit overrated, maybe a 6 or 7. But maybe that's because it was 100 Fahrenheit, full humidity, and I foolishly got a hot one. Today, it was even hotter, briefly reading 107 on the car's temperature reading. Too damn hot.
DeleteYeah, that's the thing with hot drinks in hot weather. You're fine drinking them indoors with the A/C on, but as soon as you go back outside... I'm glad you tried that place, though. I think it's safe to say that the Café du Monde is a must for any first-time visitor to the Big Easy.
ReplyDeleteOh, and what about the po'boy? Was it something really different, or was it a glorified sub? Also, does Sébastien now also enjoy coffee, or are his feelings about it essentially unchanged from when he was little?
ReplyDeleteThe Po'boys are fantastic. Hard bread on the outside, but soft almost to the point of melting in your mouth as you eat them. The place where we ate specialized in roast beef, and it was indeed very good. Sebastien is still not a huge fan of coffee, no.
DeleteSounds like something I'll definitely have to try if I ever make it down there, then. (Mind you, odds are I would do so regardless, but your feedback is encouraging.) And I agree that French bread (or something similar to it) is definitely better for sandwiches than the stuff they use at Blimpie, Subway, Quiznos, etc.
ReplyDeleteYes. There is definitely a French feel to New Orleans, including the food and restaurants. This is the only city in the United States that has a European district. And you definitely feel that it is European in style. More relaxed, more focused on architectural beauty and leisure spots. And the fact that it likely is the most distinctive city and region in terms of having its own cuisine (as well as music) says a lot about it. At some point, I heard New Orleans/Cajun cuisine is basically French food cooked beyond reason, and then cooked still a little more. Might be true. But it was definitely delicious.
Delete