Cafe Mocha

Who doesn't love Cafe Mocha? It's the perfect blend of coffee and chocolatey goodness. It's practically the only coffee I like to drink. It smells bittersweet, earthy and creamy at the same time. Cafe Mocha at Starbucks reminds me of (although the flavor is completely different) the first time I had a genuine Cafe Mocha - at the Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans two Christmases ago. (It does sound a bit pretentious, but bear with me here) This drink was particularly memorable because it was the only positive thing after what I considered was a horrible day. We had just left New York, my favorite city in the world, to spend a few days between Christmas and New Year, which we would be spending with relatives in Texas. I was already a bit grouchy when we touched down, but walking around the city made me even more distressed. I suppose there was a time when New Orleans was festive and exciting, but ever since Hurricane Katrina it seems like the people are in a permanent state of depression. At night the streets (especially Bourbon) are flooded with tourists desperate to get completely drunk. A lot of the clubs had pole dancers and strippers who weren't even attractive. All in all, a pretty pathetic sight. To add insult to injury, we weren't allowed in some of the establishments that boasted the best gumbo or po'boys in town because my sister and I weren't 21 yet. I remember I was also PMS-ing. That day was really irritating. The only redeeming factor was finding a table at Cafe Du Monde (after waiting in line for almost half an hour!) and having my very first plate of beignets and Cafe Mocha. After the day I just had, it was heaven. I can still remember the mountain of powdered sugar spilling over my plate and the layer of white sugary dust all over the floor. Mmmm. And the warm drink. Double mmmmmm.