Sweet Java Blues
No matter where you go, you can't find coffee quite like the offerings at RUE DE LA COURSE.
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The joe is always enticing at RUE DE LA COURSE.
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WHAT: rue de la course
CUISINE: Coffee and pastries
WHEN: Daily
WHERE: 3128 Magazine St., 899-0242;
401 Carondelet St., 586-0401;
1500 Magazine St.;
217 N. Peters St., 523-0206
CARDS: Major
Pierette, sister of 18th century French gastronome Brillat-Savarin, said
shortly before her 100th birthday, "Bring on the dessert, for I think I am
about to die." I believe that when my final moment comes, I will be more
specific and ask for something chocolate, chased by a great cup of java.
Perhaps the coffee and dessert will be from rue de la course, which
is one of my favorite java emporiums in town. It has been called one of the
best coffeehouses in America, and continues to receive top ratings from the
Zagat survey and Gambit Weekly readers, who last year voted it
the best in the city. (The coffeehouse finished in a tie for second among
readers this year.)
But that is not why I patronize this beloved java haven in the
Garden District. Although there are three other rue de la course locations,
with another soon opening on Tulane's campus, this one seems to have the widest
appeal, perhaps for its sheer size: it is the largest rue de la course in New
Orleans.
A new, smaller location on the Tulane campus will offer outlets for
laptops at nearly every table, plus sandwiches and salads, according to Jerry
Roppolo, who co-owns rue de la course with his wife, Debra Dunn. Rue de la
course on the corner of Magazine and Ninth streets in the Garden District also
offers laptop accommodations at tables near the large windows overlooking the
street, but no sandwiches are available. Patrons can get bagels with cream
cheese spreads instead.
Beyond the jazzy ambience, the sophisticated clientele and gourmet
desserts, it is the superior coffee at rue de la course that utterly moves me.
The coffee is made from 100 percent arabica beans from the best coffee-growing
regions in the world. The beans are roasted in small batches over a gas flame
using a natural cooling process. The result is a superior cup every time. Rue
de la course has an extensive array of offerings that can impress even the most
critical of connoisseurs.
Coffee such as this is hard to find outside the Big Easy. Good
coffee is something I seek out daily, like a religious experience. The journey
doesn't cost much, and the rewards are priceless. I enjoy coffee at breakfast,
coffee with chocolate, ice coffee breaks and hot coffee dates. As a
connoisseur, I go to great lengths in pursuit of it. Sometimes, it also happens
that I have a craving for chocolate. It is a mood food, to be sure. Coffee and
chocolate combined can result in a state of complete nirvana.
I usually yearn for such offerings as the cappuccino cioccalato, a
rue de la course original made with equal portions of chocolate espresso,
chocolate milk and chocolate froth topped with cocoa. When it's really hot
outside, I get a craving for iced caffe mocha laced with chocolate milk and
chocolate froth, or a caffe granita, which is one of the best versions in town.
I get it flavored with chocolate (of course).
Last week, as I drove along Highway 90 from Mississippi while the
sky gave way to darkness at sunset, I held a cup of watery, weak coffee and
fantasized about a pungent cup of Ethiopian Harrar, or perhaps some Hawaiian
Typica, with its silky, smooth finish. Such a long way to go. Even the finest
coffeehouses on the Gulf Coast pale in comparison to what we have here in New
Orleans. After arriving in the city, I instantly headed to rue de la course
before going home.
The large room overlooking Magazine Street was smoky, but I ignored
that annoyance and decided to sit near the window. After selecting which coffee
to order, I was drawn to the pastries in the display case. Redemption was near.
The fragrance of great coffee and the sight of chocolate peanut butter pie,
chocolate truffle cake, chocolate ecstasy cake, and doberge layered with
chocolate made my toes curl with anticipation. Seated at the table, I savored
each luscious bite of salty peanut butter and bittersweet chocolate while
sipping what seemed like the best coffee I had ever tasted. I had come out of
the desert, and was back in the fertile heartland of connoisseurs.
After finishing the little feast, I ordered a couple of bags of
strong coffee beans and an assortment of pastries that included fat-free
blueberry muffins, bear claws, currant scones and blueberry cheese croissants,
all treats for house guests who would be arriving in a couple of hours.
Armed with all these goodies, I paid the tab and strolled out into
the clear, starlit night, keen of wit and light of heart, swearing that I would
never take New Orleans coffee for granted again. Like Dorothy in the Wizard
of Oz, I admitted to myself that there is no place like home -- at least
when it comes to enjoying a great cup of java and the delectable sweets that go
with it.
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