Today , Café du Monde is a popular New Orleans food destination specializing in beignets with powdered sugar ( served in threes ) , coffee with chicory , and café au lait.  Beignets were declared the official state doughnut of Louisiana in 1986.  tradition of deep-frying fruits for a side dish dates to the time of Ancient Rome , while the tradition of beignets in Europe is speculated to have originated with a heavy influence of Islamic culinary tradition.  The term beignet can be applied to two varieties , depending on the type of pastry .
Beignet at Café du Monde is served in threes .