For the uninitiated, a beignet is basically a deep fried square donut with powdered sugar sprinkled on top. We never actually ate a beignet at Caf du Monde, which was a mistake. Somebody gave us a sack of takeout beignets, and we made the mistake of trying them 18 hours after the freshness guarantee had expired. It was like trying to take a bite out of a gym sock. We later learned that the proper way to eat a beignet is right out of the fryer, although you don't want to actually dip your face in the boiling oil like you were bobbing for apples.
Beignets lose their freshness and their appeal within three minutes of cooking.
Music is everywhere in little dives, trendy clubs, back alley honky tonks, outdoor cafes and it literally spills onto the street. In addition to these groups, most of whom are paid by the cafes and bars to bring in customers, you've got the usual assortment of street performers, including some enterprising young men who tap dance on portable linoleum platforms. But it's fun in this city, which has a definite Caribbean influence. Cajun music is happy music, toe-tapping music, the music of New Orleans. Put together a guitar, violin, squeezebox, and minimal drum kit along with a guy who can sing those high parts and you've got Cajun music.