Cafe du Monde and Jackson Square Musicians

How did this get so HUGE??

Wow. I remember when this was a quant little coffee shop. This place is HUGE. Who are all these people? Who told them about my quiet little place? It grew so fast. The last time I was here was, hmm, when was that? Before Kalen. 1983? Ahhh!! Almost 30 years ago!!!

Double order of Beignets (powdered donuts), Cafe au Lait,
Chicory coffee, and hot chocolate.

Cafe du Monde serves one edible item: Beignets.  The fried donuts are freshly made and covered with powered sugar (you will be covered too!)  They offer a variety of both hot and cold drinks, and the chicory coffee is well known. You can buy your coffee in a souvenir mug, which is a fun reminder.

TIPS: Make sure that you are in the correct line.  There are two lines - one is for the take-out window and the other is to be seated.  Most times the staff will try to get the take-out line to enter from the back of the shaded outside area. The seating line is to the front of the building, off of Decatur.  The outside patio may be closed in the morning until there are enough people lined up to warrant all of the extra seating and staff.  If you see an open table, take it. No one is going to seat you, but someone will be around to clean the table of the coffee cups and powdered sugar. Then you can  make your own mess.

We walked past Jackson Square.  The square is surrounded by a beautiful iron fence, and ornate gates on each side. The outer perimeter of the fence often holds artwork from local artists and the open plaza holds fortune tellers and tarot card readers.  And, as always, musicians selling CDs, entertaining, and adding to the overall ambiance of the French Quarter.