Beignets in Boston

[alilly]

Friends and I were discussing Beignets over lunch...does anyone know where we can find these delicious treats in the Boston Area? Thanks for your help!

[EmmaFrances]

They were on Eastern Standard's dessert menu (at least at lunch) in December. My husband thought they compared favorably to the ones he ate in New Orleans.

[edgewater]

I have heard that Lee Napoli has fabulous chocolate beignets on Sunday's....don't know if that's the only day. Her shop if Chocolee on Pembroke Street in the South End just a couple of steps off Tremont Street.

[edgewater]

I also just noticed that Olives has Banana and Bueberry Beignets with a trio of dipping sauces on their restaurant week menu. I went to Olives during the summer restaurant week after not having been there in years and was VERY happy with the menu selections and the excellent quality of food and the service. I was also able to easily get on street parking.

[voodoocheese]

I haven't been in a while, but when I had them a few months ago they were FAB!

[mccarth]

Stopped in for brunch and music at The Beehive on Saturday afternoon and noticed that they offer a basket of beignets on the menu. We didn't try them, but I was drooling when our neighbors at the bar got them.

[thrace]

I ordered them and they were most definitely not beignets. Consistency was nice (crispy outside, kind of warm, soft, doughy inside), but taste was weird. Our basket of...whatevers was also slightly burnt, and came with the barest hint of powdered sugar frosted onto one side. Essentially they seemed to be brown fried hollow doughballs.

[gini]

SwissBäkers make incredible beignets. http://www.swissbakers.com/ I'm partial to their apricot version. I've seen them at many local shops and Whole Foods.

[kelly001]

The Cheese Shop sells the Bäkers beignets though not every day. I would call ahead.

[hoorayish]

z square in harvard square has some heavenly warm mini beignets with powdered sugar and a bit of fresh fruit
i had them at brunch but i just checked and they seem to be part of the regular breakfast menu
i had the classic cafe du monde beignets in new orleans years ago and z square's are the closest i've found to those in new york or boston

[greengage]

Do the heavenly cream-filled sugar doughnuts at Flour count? As a Yankee, I have no idea what makes an authentic beignet, but that's how I imagine them.

[ypeopleeat]

So funny to see this post today, never heard of the things before last night at Gaslight and now you are looking for them. They are on their dessert menu, made fresh to order, hot, chocolate and delicious.

[catsmeow]

I've seen beignets at several places recently. Yesterday, they had them at the Whole Foods at Symphony. A while back, I had one somewhere and it reminded me of a jelly donut. Evidently, from hearing so much about them lately, I take it they're suppose to be very different. How are they suppose to be made?

[joebelt]

the cheese shop in concord, ma on Saturdays.

[finlero]

I've been curious about this place for a while. How does it stack up compared to the usual inside-the-128 suspects, Formaggio, Wine 'n' Cheese Cask, et al, for cheese and other various tasty sundries?

Also, I seem to recall hearing they made their own fresh mozzarella, can anyone confirm?

[kelly001]

It's a great place. Cheese selection is very good and they are very open to having everyone taste anything you'd like. They carry B&R bread and some of Iggy's on a daily basis. There's a wine selection (smaller than the Wine and Cheese Cask) and a catering / lunch desk in back. They just recently (past year) changed chefs and I don't like the new one as much as the old one but it's still very respectable.

If you come to Concord, you need to visit Farfalle Italian Market as well. An amazing new place for a quick refined bite to eat!

[BostonZest]

And, the Concord Shop kitchen supply store next door. They have a wonderful selection. If you love to cook, you won't walk out empty-handed!

[BarmyFotheringayPhipps]

Where is the Farfalle Italian Market? I know the neighborhood around the cheese shop and kitchen supply store well (Allstonian and I were married at the Scout House, just across the street), but I'm unfamiliar with an Italian market.

[kelly001]

Do you see where La Provence is on Thoreau Street? It's right across the street from it on the opposite side of the railroad tracks. It opened about 7-8 months ago. The attention to detail and the quality of their food is really a step above even the best places in take-out / lunch places in Concord.

[BarmyFotheringayPhipps]

Good to know. Thanks!

[gini]

The Cheese Shop is a cute little store with a nice assortment of cheeses and wines. They also do a good sandwich in their deli. The issue for me is that most of their cheeses are kept behind the counter, making browsing almost impossible.

[joebelt]

Have you been lately? I'd say at least 70% of their cheese are on the counter in front. Only a few select cheeses are in the cold cases behind the counter (still in full view.)

[gini]

It's been since the summer, which may account for why more of the cheeses were in cold cases then. I will say this though, my eyesight isn't good enough to read the tags of the cheeses in the cold case.

[Prav]

Time to invent prescription cheese cases! :)

Are they nice about sampling, like Whole Foods is?

[joebelt]

Way nicer! If someone is sampling a cheese and you are in line, they will give out samples to everyone. I find them to be more generous with their sampling practices than any other place in this State. They'll have you sample cheese even though you are just picking up bread or wine.

[gini]

Genius.

VERY nice. They're also incredibly knowledgeable.

[joebelt]

and extremely friendly.