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What: These square, fried, French-style doughnuts were introduced to Louisiana by the Acadians (a.k.a. Cajuns: French descendants by way of Nova Scotia) once upon a time; they’re served hot and not so much dusted with powdered sugar as piled with it. These are among the cheapest, sweetest pleasures to be had in town, and work equally well for breakfast as for dessert.

Where: The giant, open-air Café du Monde (800 Decatur St.) in the French Quarter is the quintessential place to eat beignets. It’s been around since 1862 (in smaller form, no doubt), it’s open 24 hours, and it serves only coffee and beignets (aside from sodas, milk, and orange juice). Of course, it’s also swarmed by tourists much of the day, but the line moves pretty quickly. Keep in mind that black clothes and powdered sugar don’t mix well!

When: 24 hours/7 days (closes for Christmas and “bad” hurricanes only). Come during an off hour (not in the morning or a weekend afternoon) to avoid the big crowds.

Order: At least one order of beignets (three for $2.35) with a café au lait ($2.35 for small). The coffee here is dark-roasted and chicory-spiked: smooth, strong, and delicious.

Good to know: Count on a late-night beignet snack after a night hopping around the music clubs and bars on Frenchmen Street, a short walk away.

Alternatively: While we think Café du Monde is great, some people are turned off by its tourist-attraction status. If you want to check out another spot serving beignets, there’s Café Beignet (two locations: 311 Bourbon St. and 334-B Royal St., map), also in the Quarter, serving a full breakfast and lunch menu. Even better, if you can drive yourself to nearby Metairie, try the reputedly awesome beignets at Morning Call Coffee Stand (3325 Severn Ave., Metairie, map), which lived on Decatur Street for 100 years before moving to its present location in 1974.