Read Drink & Be Merry

Week two of Louisiana Flair’s Beignet Wednesday made it worth getting up. It’s a little tough getting a toddler going a little earlier in the morning but the promise of deep fried pastry seemed to make all the difference. It’s a very nice way to start the day. Trading food talk with Veronica, of Veronica’s Test Kitchen, was fun and seeing Paul Hammond first thing in the morning wasn’t as bad as some people might think…

Last month my sister came to visit from Philadelphia and we took her to brunch at Can-Can. While Can-Can is normally, and still is, one of our favourite restaraunts the brunch was a bit of a disappointment. Of particular note were the heavy, bitter beignets. I whined a bit and then moved on. Elsewhere in the city, this little whine started something stirring.

Fellow blogger, Paul Hammond, got a craving for beignets and put out the call to his readers for suggestions on where to get beignets to satisfy his need as he has some sort of tragic history of deep frying on his own. Ideas and reminisces poured in from near and far. Mr Hammond recalled that at one point beignets were served at a little cajun restaurant downtown called Louisiana Flair. I’m not sure what kind of cajoling or threats Mr Hammond used but the chef at Louisiana Flair agreed to bring back the beignets, at least on a limited basis.

That brings us to this gray Wednesday morning. Finn and I were up early enough for a little stop on our way to the store. Louisiana Flair is, in keeping to it’s cajun roots, a mish-mosh of mismatched chairs and tables. Porcelain masks and feathers line the walls with a smattering of Mardi Gras beads here and there. Just enough to add character but not to the point of gaudy. A big chalkboard over the cooking area outlined the offerings. A quick glance bespoke of poboys of various types but that’s not what we were there for so I didn’t pay it a whole lot of attention.

There was actually a little line when we arrived so we took our place but we must have had some sort of needy look so the chef called out the question to me. ‘Beignets?’ I affirmed and went to find a place for Finn and I to sit. Juice for the little boy and coffee from the thermal carafe for me. The coffee was steaming hot and from Carytown Coffee. Quite good. While we waited for the fried dough to arrive we met and chatted with another local blogger, Veron from Veronica’s Test Kitchen. We must get down to the Farmer’s Market this Saturday to get some of her macarons!

A few minutes later the plate of three large beignets arrived. Properly dusted with powdered sugar they looked wonderful. Some sort of jam or preserve came on the side but I pushed it out of the way, not wanting to have to de-jam a 3-year-old. We dug in. A little crispy, light yet doughy, sweet but not overloaded. Perfect. Coffee, apple juice, 3 large beignets: $5. We might have to stop in next Wednesday!