Fiorella’s Cafe in the French Quarter – NOLA

My partner, I found out, had never had a real muffuletta. I decided I needed to expose him to my favorite hidden market in the French Quarter, but was saddened to find that it had been washed out by Hurricane Ike and had not been rebuilt. With a heavy sigh, we wandered about for a while before spotting a sandwich board on the sidewalk that mentioned muffulettas.

We actually glanced at each other and shrugged. We would give it a shot. Thus we found Fiorella’s Cafe, an Italian restaurant that offers my new favorite muffuletta in NOLA.

We perused the menu as good foodies will do, but there was no question as to what we would order. We decided to order a whole muff with the intent to each have a quarter and take the rest back to the hotel with us for a snack later. The size of the plate made us think we might actually pull that off.

The whole muffuletta, with seasoned fries.

A quarter cut, showing the goodness inside.

Love at first bite.

That was not to be, however. We tucked in and wound up eating whole thing. Why? It was just that good and after hiking about in the French Quarter, we were just that hungry.

Just in case you didn’t catch that, he loves the muffuletta!

On the 1-5 scale, Fiorella’s Cafe gets:
Cleanliness – 3.5
Service – 5
Quality of food – 5
Flavor – 5
Pricing – 4
Overall experience – 4.5

Fiorella’s Cafe
1136 Decatur Street
New Orleans, LA 70116
(504) 553-2155

— Ann Cathey

Cafe Du Monde, NOLA

If the name Cafe Du Monde doesn’t ring a bell, then clearly you have not traveled to the French Quarter of New Orleans. The name should evoke thoughts of a deep, rich, satisfying cup of coffee and the best beignets to ever have passed my lips, and a wonderful people watching opportunity.

The Original Cafe Du Monde Coffee Stand was established in 1862, and with the exception of Christmas Day and those few days when a Hurricane passes too close to New Orleans, it is open 24/7. It is a traditional coffee shop, offering dark roasted coffee and chicory, beignets, white and chocolate milk, and fresh squeezed orange juice. The coffee is served black or au lait. Au lait means that it is mixed half and half with hot milk. Beignets are square French-style doughnuts about the size of a man’s palm, lavishly covered with powdered sugar, and served in orders of three. Iced coffee and soft drinks were added to the menu in 1988, apparently due to rising demand.

According to the website: “The taste for coffee and chicory was developed by the French during their civil war. Coffee was scarce during those times, and they found that chicory added body and flavor to the brew. The Acadians from Nova Scotia brought this taste and many other french customs (heritage) to Louisiana. Chicory is the root of the endive plant. Endive is a type of lettuce. The root of the plant is roasted and ground. It is added to the coffee to soften the bitter edge of the dark roasted coffee. It adds an almost chocolate flavor.”

I have found the coffee at this establishment to be consistent over the years, and some of the best of it’s type I have been privileged to consume. While it is available in many grocery and specialty stores, sporting the unique yellow label, it’s never quite the same as the fresh coffee from the French Quarter.

Cafe Du Monde has branched out from the original coffee shop. There are now eight Cafe Du Monde Coffee Stands in the New Orleans Metropolitan area. They are located in the French Market, Esplanade Mall, Riverwalk Mall, Lakeside Mall, Oakwood Mall, Mandeville, Covington and 4600 Veterans Boulevard as well as a gift shop in the French Quarter.

If you are not inclined to visit the original location, or want to Christmas shop for the coffee lovers in your life, you may also visit the Cafe Du Monde Online Store.

A word of warning for those who try the beignets! Breath out before you bring this pastry near your face, open wide to take a bite, and whatever you do don’t breath or laugh while all that powdered sugar is anywhere near your face! If you think I’m kidding, try it.

 

 

 

 

Both my partner and I have experienced the hazards of breathing wrong, either taking sugar into the nose and lungs, or spraying it all over the table and everyone with us. Cafe Du Monde’s beignets are an adventure to eat, to say the least!

On the 1-5 scale, Cafe Du Mond gets:
Cleanliness – 4
Service – 5
Quality of food – 5
Flavor – 5
Pricing – 3
Overall experience – 4.4

Cafe Du Monde – French Quarter
800 Decatur Street
New Orleans, LA 70116
(504) 525-4544

— Ann Cathey

The Alibi, NOLA

One of the many quaint little hole-in-the-wall-bars in the French Quarter of New Orleans, the Alibi “New Orleans Best Excuse” may well boast the best burger in the city. It also maintains a wall inscribed with all the beers they have on tap and in the cooler. It’s an impressive list.

The place might have a standing room only capacity of about 60 people, but the night we crawled inside there weren’t even a dozen. We took a seat in the back and shared our space with The Most Interesting Man in the World.

The pub menus are on the table, but you have to order at the bar. There’s also a one drink minimum, which is understandable for such a small place in such a busy tourist spot. The beer came back fast, though the burgers took a while.

 

 

 

I had my usual Bass Pale Ale, and my partner had a Samuel Smith Imperial Stout. If we were only going to have one, they might as well be good ones!

 

When the burgers arrived, all our reservations melted away. While the base price was $10.50, the monster sandwiches that were laid before us made us grin with delight.

The flavor lived up to the visual promise as well. The 3/4 pound patties were close to an inch thick, juicy and flavorful, and dripping in cheese, just like we like them.

The top is a medium rare with provolone cheese. The second is also medium rare, but with sharp cheddar. There was no scrimping on the beef or the cheese!

If you are staying in the area, you can skip the one drink minimum by ordering for delivery or calling in a takeout. They deliver food to residences, businesses and a lot of the area hotels.

 

On the 1-5 scale, the Alibi gets:
Cleanliness – 3 (It’s a pub!)
Service – 3
Quality of food – 5
Flavor – 5
Pricing – 3
Overall experience – 3.8

The Alibi
811 Iberville Street
New Orleans, Louisiana

–Ann Cathey