When I think of Cafe Du Monde, I think of my childhood and how my family would take out of town relatives down to the Quarter, do a little siteseeing, and finally rest in the heart of it all at Cafe Du Monde and absorb the city sights, sounds and yes, smells =P. While living in NOLA, I took for granted the wonderful food, people, and ambiance of the city. When I relocated to a different state, I would visit often and do all the things tourists would do…visit the St. Louis Cathedral, walk down Bourbon St. with some sort of alcoholic beverage in hand, and then eventually end up at Cafe Du Monde…

…These delicious pillows of donuts are not only a tasty treat but also a memory. Lightly crispy on the outside and pillowy soft on the inside…and dusted with powdered sugar. So whether you’re a local or tourist, these beignets (pronounced ‘Ben-yay’) are worth trying. How can a French donut not be delicious? My favorite drink has to be the Frozen Cafe Au Lait. Definitely wakes you up and cools you down after a long walk around the French Quarter!

**TIP** If it happens to be too crowded, you can jump into a to-go line towards the back and find a place to eat, but I usually wait. The wait line moves quickly…depending on whether it’s a holiday season or not!

Tartine is a cute and quaint little cafe that serves French breakfast and pastries. Before I even show you pictures, I must say that the food here is delicious! All the breads are made in house…nice and crunchy on the outside, but dense and soft on the inside. Breakfast is delicious and lunch is basically a breakfasty version of lunch…(my best explanation). They put a little touch of “Tartine” on every menu item…

Baked Egg in Brioche. 

My favorite part about breakfast foods…the cutting of the poached egg. Who knew egg yolk could be such a delicious sauce! 

Quiche. 

Cafe Au Lait.

Ham Sandwich. Triple Cream Brie. Fig Mustard. Butter Lettuce on a Baguette. 

Salmon Rillete. 

So I’m showing you pictures from two different occasions…one to go order and one sit down in their tiny patio. It’s THAT good..I’ve been here multiple times and just can’t get tired of the food. It’s refreshing and not overly heavy considering you’re eating quite a bit of carbs. All spreads are flavorful and leave you wanting more…

I don’t know what else to say. I love it so much that writing this post is making me want to visit tomorrow morning. I’ll see y’all there! 

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UPDATE 12/28/2012

So as promised, I paid another visit to Tartine and they did it again! I know this is a long post, but I’m sure a little eye candy won’t bother your taste buds…

Soup of the Day: Cauliflower Soup. 

House Pate.  Dijon. Onion Confit. Baguette.

House Smoked Turkey. Gruyere. Avocado. Roasted Gartlic Aioli. Butter Lettuce. Honey Wheat Bread.

Everything was delicious, as expected. The thing I’ve noticed with Tartine is the simplicity of all their menu items. All tartines consist of a skinny baguette baked to a perfect crunch on the outside and dense yet fluffy inside. Each baguette is topped with a fully flavored, well-seasoned spread of choice (salmon, pork, pate..etc). Sandwiches are simple and plain in appearance, but don’t let that fool you…like the House Smoked Turkey Sandwich did to me. The bread was a light and fluffy texture stuffed with deliciously smoked turkey. What really blew me away was how the garlic aioli could add so much flavor. I just wanna add garlic aioli to everything now! I can go on and on…but you’ll just have to try it for yourself! 

My favorite items: 

• Pork Rillette
• Smoked Turkey Sandwich
• Ham Sandwich