Café Du Monde, the famous cafe chain established in 1862 in the New Orleans French Market, has been under strict orthodox rabbinical supervision for many years now, mainly covering its beignets, the only non-drink item served at most of their cafes.
Beignets are a local delicacy and were brought to Louisiana by the Acadians (17th century French colonists). These were fried fritters, sometimes filled with fruit. Today, the beignet (pronounced “ben-yay”) is a square piece of dough, fried and covered with powdered sugar. They are served at Café Du Monde in orders of three.
Local tip: try and wear white or light colors before enjoying the beignets, as you may be covered in powered sugar thereafter.
In the past, all 9 of Café Du Monde’s locations in Louisiana were kosher, however, the new kosher supervisor only certifies 3 of its locations:
- French Market, 800 Decatur Street, New Orleans, LA
- Open 24 hours a day, except Christmas
- Lakeside Mall, 3301 Veterans Blvd, Suite 104, Metairie, LA
- Open Mon-Sat 7am-9pm, Sun 11am-6pm
- Veterans Boulevard Location, 4700 Veterans Blvd, Metairie, LA
- Open Sun-Thur 6am-11pm, Fri-Sat 6am-1am
- Drive Thru Available
Kosher supervision for Café Du Monde is provided by Rabbi Gabe Greenberg, rabbi of Cong. Beth Israel in Metairie.
In addition to helping run the suburban shul, Greenberg often lends his services to the Louisiana Kashrut Commision (LKC), inspecting various kitchens at restaurants in New Orleans to ensure they adhere to kashrut law. Although his check-ins at Café du Monde are not officially sanctioned by the LKC, Greenberg provides the establishment with an independent certificate of approval in line with the standards he oversees at other kosher restaurants. – Tablet Mag
(image from facebook.com/OneFullLife)
