The best beignets are not on Decatur St.
My first trip to New Orleans was probably not that different that most. I had my list of must see places-Bourbon Street for some debauchery, and the Cafe du Mond for their famous beignets. You can imagine my excitement as we strolled the early morning soggy streets of NOLO for our morning coffee and delights from this iconic landmark cafe.
There were a few surprises. The first, was the long line we dutifully committed to waiting in. It was after all, a possible once in a lifetime experience! The second surprise was the beignets. After my first bite I realized I had fallen for the trap. The tourist trap. The beignets were not special, not the magic French pillows of delight I had been promised on TripAdvisor. I would put them more in the greasy cold local fair/funnel cake category. Perhaps the lesson here is, the tourist spots should not be our first stop.
Lakeland Florida, is not exactly a tourist destination, unless you are a Frank Lloyd Wright fan. Here my friends is where we found the Poor Porker.
We were pleasantly wowed by the groovy, artsy, hipster/hippy/Instagram lovers dream vibe of this coffee house compound. The best surprise was the most incredible beignet this gal has ever laid her tongue on. It was firm yet light as a cloud, warm and melty in my hand, with just the perfect amount of powdered sugar. My pilot and I loved them so much, we got two more. Merci Poor Parker, for the best beignet on the planet.