Page 80 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - New Orleans

78  NE W ORLEANS AREA B Y AREA

w Central Grocery
923 Decatur. Map 5 D2. Tel 523-
1620. @ 5, 55. v Riverfront.
Open 9am–5pm Tue–Sat. = 0
This historic store, one of the
few Italian delis left in the city,
sells all kinds of Italian food,
from pasta, provolone, and
mozzarella, to sausages,
parmesan, and olive oil. In the
1890s, many Italians began to
move to the French Quarter,
and became major stallholders
at the nearby French Market (see
p70). Today, customers gather at
the counters at the back of the
store to order another specialty, Taking a break at Café du Monde, with beignets and coffee
the muffuletta (see p172), which
is a sizable sandwich filled with During the mid-19th century, which rise some 9 ft (3m)
deli meats and cheeses. The there were as many as 500 off the ground. A veranda,
most vital ingredient, however, similar coffee houses in the accessible via French windows
is the olive salad – a blend of French Quarter. Coffee was one from all the rooms, extends
olives, celery, carrots, cauliflower, of New Orleans’ most important around the first floor.
and capers, which can also be commodities, and the coffee The name Madame John’s
purchased at the store. trade helped the economy Legacy refers to George
recover after the Civil War, when Washington Cable’s famous
New Orleans vied with New story Tite Poulette (1873), in which
York City to control coffee the hero leaves a residence as a
imports. During the Civil War, legacy to his quadroon mistress,
locals drank coffee flavored with who sells the building, deposits
peanuts and pecan shells, to the cash in a bank, and loses
make the coffee supply last. it all when the bank fails.
Cable used this residence as a
r Madame model of the home in his story.
In the late 19th century, the
John’s Legacy house was converted into
rental apartments, which
632 Dumaine St. Map 5 D2. Tel 568-
6968. @ 5, 55. v Riverfront. were occupied by a mixture
Open 10am–4:30pm Tue–Sun. of immigrants.
Closed public hols. & 8 Today, exhibits in the first-floor
∑ louisianastatemuseum.org/ galleries relate the history of
Olive salad and other deli specialties at museums/madame-johns-legacy/ the house and its many owner-
the Central Grocery residents. Among them were
Dating from 1789, this is one of Jean Pascal, a Provençal sea
the oldest surviving residences captain who built the original
e Café du Monde in the Mississippi Valley. It is a house on this site before being
typical Creole plantation- killed by Natchez Indians in
800 Decatur. Map 5 D2. Tel 525-
4544. @ 5, 55. v Riverfront. style house, suppor ted 1729; pirate-admiral
Open 24 hours daily. Closed Dec 25. on brick piers René Beluche,
7 - = ∑ cafedumonde.com
Everyone who visits New
Orleans stops here for a plate of
sugar-dusted beignets (square
French donuts) accompanied
by café au lait or the famous
chicory-flavored version, iced
coffee or a glass of milk. This
coffeehouse, which was
established in 1862, is perfect
for relaxing at a table under
the arcade and listening to the
street musicians entertain. Madame John’s Legacy, among the oldest residences in the Mississippi Valley

078-079_EW_New_Orl.indd 78 05/08/16 3:49 pm
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.7)
Date 1st October 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm