Cafe du Monde

Located across the street from historic Jackson Square, Café du Monde is home to some of New Orleans' most famous beignets. The French doughnut is a deep fried dough fritter covered in powdered sugar. It is typically dunked in coffee like its American cousins.

The closest Americanized equivalent of beignets is the fair food known as elephant ears. Beignets are one of the simple pleasures of New Orleans breakfasts.

The cafe au lait at Café du Monde is blended with chicory. Chicory gives coffee a deeper roasted flavor. According to the Café du Monde Web site and a cursory look at history, chicory came into use during the French Civil War when coffee became scarce, and was brought to Louisiana by the Acadians.

Café du Monde is hopping busy in the mornings. However, since it is open 24/7, you should have plenty of opportunities to sample the fare at New Orleans' original coffee stand.

Cafe Du Monde

Panini Pete's

Panini Pete's is a sandwich shop in Fairhope, Alabama, that offers a little bit extra than the typical fast food joint. This small place, tucked into Alabama's French Quarter, puts its heart and soul into grill pressed, Italian-style sandwiches.

The actual Panini Pete is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America. He has years of industry experience, and it shows in his carefully crafted fare.

Panini Pete's is so noted, in fact, that it was featured in an episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives on the Food Network. There is even a Guy Fieri bobblehead by the cash register to thank the Food Network star for his free publicity.

All of the food, from the chips and fries to the bread and mozzarella cheese, are made in-house. Panini Pete's serves breakfast and lunch, and they stay busy throughout the afternoon.

Vegetarian options include the tomato and mozzarella panini. The soft, creamy mozzarella is stacked high on grilled foccacia bread with sliced tomatoes, torn basil leaves and a balsamic vinaigrette. When you only have one vegetarian sandwich on the menu, it had better be good, and Pete's truly delivers with this one. The chips are crisp and deliciously salty, with a hint of smokiness on the finish.

Crescent City fans will also enjoy the beignets. Pete's makes the New Orleans pastries for the breakfast crowd (although they can also be enjoyed after lunch by a less traditional diner).

Panini Pete's