Day 247: Beignet Rankings
As I mentioned in a previous post, our brunch group went to Shady Lady this month. Part of our meal was an order of beignets, which Mr. E and I considered a prelude to our trip to New Orleans with his family for Thanksgiving. We enjoyed New Orleans beignets on both Thursday and Friday morning, so I figured a brief ranking recap would be appropriate.
Shady Lady
Perhaps I'm just partial to NorCal, but I rate these as my favorite. I prefer the smaller size so that I don't feel overly full, and I also really like the rasberry (?) dipping sauce on the side, as the sweetly tart fruit helps to counter-balance the fried dough and powdered sugar on the beignets themselves. Price = $3 for an order of 3 beignets + dipping sauce.
Cafe du Monde
This is the famous and classic New Orleans spot for beignets, as that's pretty much all that's on the menu in addition to coffee and a few other beverage options. The venue operates on a cash-only basis and has definitely perfected the supply chain process for consistently delivering their renowned pastries and coffee-with-chicory. I do enjoy the atmosphere here, just for the unique aspect, and the cafe is open 24 hours a day, so it's certainly the right spot no matter when you're craving beignets and coffee. Mr. E finds that the dough of these beignets has a distinct flavor that sets them apart -- in a positive way -- from others, so these are his top choice. Price = $2.42 for an order of 3 beignets.
Cafe Beignet
This shop was less than 1 block from our hotel, so of course we had to give it a try. Unlike Cafe du Monde, this restaurant has a full breakfast and sandwich menu in addition to its beignets. It's also quite small, which means that getting a table can be almost impossible, especially if the outdoor patio area next door isn't open. These beignets are the largest of the bunch and have less powdered sugar, which makes them a bit neater and easier to eat. At the same time, they also seemed to have a bit more residual oil, so they felt heavier overall. I wouldn't discourage folks from trying this spot, but it's definitely not our favorite, and it's also the most expensive of the three options. Price = $3.99 for an order of 3 beignets.
Shady Lady
Perhaps I'm just partial to NorCal, but I rate these as my favorite. I prefer the smaller size so that I don't feel overly full, and I also really like the rasberry (?) dipping sauce on the side, as the sweetly tart fruit helps to counter-balance the fried dough and powdered sugar on the beignets themselves. Price = $3 for an order of 3 beignets + dipping sauce.
Cafe du Monde
This is the famous and classic New Orleans spot for beignets, as that's pretty much all that's on the menu in addition to coffee and a few other beverage options. The venue operates on a cash-only basis and has definitely perfected the supply chain process for consistently delivering their renowned pastries and coffee-with-chicory. I do enjoy the atmosphere here, just for the unique aspect, and the cafe is open 24 hours a day, so it's certainly the right spot no matter when you're craving beignets and coffee. Mr. E finds that the dough of these beignets has a distinct flavor that sets them apart -- in a positive way -- from others, so these are his top choice. Price = $2.42 for an order of 3 beignets.
Cafe Beignet
This shop was less than 1 block from our hotel, so of course we had to give it a try. Unlike Cafe du Monde, this restaurant has a full breakfast and sandwich menu in addition to its beignets. It's also quite small, which means that getting a table can be almost impossible, especially if the outdoor patio area next door isn't open. These beignets are the largest of the bunch and have less powdered sugar, which makes them a bit neater and easier to eat. At the same time, they also seemed to have a bit more residual oil, so they felt heavier overall. I wouldn't discourage folks from trying this spot, but it's definitely not our favorite, and it's also the most expensive of the three options. Price = $3.99 for an order of 3 beignets.
posted by jms | 9:00 PM
1 Comments:
Cafe Du Monde is the clear winner!!!
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