I was about to bite into a beignet, those delectable, deep-fried pastries that are icons of the New Orleans culinary scene, when my guide on the Bienville Bites Food Tour stopped me.
“Wait! You forgot the lemon.”
Lemon? Who puts lemon on a beignet?
Residents of Mobile, Alabama, do, and that’s where this food tour took place. To my surprise, the citrus juice melded with the powdered sugar on the warm pastry, forming a delicious, gooey icing. Sorry, New Orleans, but this beignet from Panini Pete’s was the best I’ve ever had.
Unlike the yeast-based dough in New Orleans, this drop dough goes directly into the fryer without being rolled out. The beignets come out in fluffy layers, like a croissant.
New Flavors, New Ports
This culinary adventure was a popular experience offered by American Cruise Lines on its inaugural Gulf Coast cruise that sailed from New Orleans to Pensacola earlier this month. Ports of call in Mississippi included Gulfport, Biloxi, and Ocean Springs on a 7-night itinerary that also took us to Mobile.
The 180-passenger American Symphony is part of a fleet of 28 modern riverboats and small ships that sail exclusively on American waters. This ship carried mostly Baby Boomers who appreciated the relaxed atmosphere on board, a contrast to the party vibe on many oceangoing ships that carry thousands of passengers.
Big-ship amenities like indoor skydiving simulators or rock-climbing walls hold no appeal for this senior crowd. Card games in the Sky Lounge and region-focused lectures from an onboard historian are more their speed.
Many are no longer interested in international travel because of long, uncomfortable flights and jet lag. American Cruise Lines offers an opportunity to see more of the United States at a leisurely pace.
On the downtown food tour, I caught up with passenger Pat Garren, 86, as she nibbled a fried green tomato. She traveled extensively with her husband Bill before he died a few years ago. Now, she cruises on her own and finds it easy to meet people on small ACL ships.
“The reason I’m interested in traveling only in the United States is that Bill and I were on 67 cruises and visited 112 countries. I’ve been everywhere and seen everything,” she said. “I’m not interested in crossing the ocean ever again.”
Sweet Hearts, Secret Histories
The food crawl was one of many shore excursions that illustrated both the cultural differences and similarities in the cities and small towns along the Gulf Coast.
As we made our way to the next stop, we learned that Mobile is over the moon for Moon Pies, the Chattanooga-made snack that consists of two chocolate-covered graham cracker cookies with marshmallow filling.
The sweet treat is a coveted Mardi Gras “throw” (the trinkets tossed from floats).
Those new to the region may not realize that Mardi Gras is celebrated all along the Gulf Coast and isn’t exclusive to New Orleans.
Mobile is the birthplace of Mardi Gras, hosting the first organized celebration in 1703, years before New Orleans.
To learn more, I stopped by the Mobile Carnival Museum, an outing that wasn’t part of an organized shore excursion, to peruse the dazzling collection of lavish costumes worn by Mardi Gras royalty over the years.
To read about the rest of Tracey's adventures on the Symphony, read the article on Porthole Cruise and Travel's website.
