Cafe Du Monde

The green and white striped awnings of Cafe Du Monde are the visual mark of this open-air coffee stand on Decatur Street. Established in eighteen sixty-two during the American Civil War, it occupies a building that once served as the Butcher's Hall in the French Market. While coffee shortages during the conflict prompted the local use of chicory as a blend, the café became synonymous with the beignet, a square, deep-fried pastry traditionally coated in powdered sugar.