Smoothies at Crescent City Coffee Shop

Yum! At Crescent City Coffee Shop, 1007 North Trenton Street, Ruston, LA 71270
(318) 232-5282, you can get a fruit smoothie made fresh by the attractive young men and women working there. (Most of them are students at Lousiana Tech or Grambling). As you watch, they toss a generous serving of fruit into a blender with a small amount of flavored syrup. Then they will ask you if you want whipped cream and how much whipped cream you want.

My mouth craves Strawberry Smoothies. I confess that after my first one I have not passed many minutes without thinking about having the next one. There is also a Four Berry Smoothie, which is a blend of blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries. Alexandra, one of the baristas, recommends the Peach Pear Plus. For adventurous palates, there is the Mango Tropics Smoothie, an exotic blend of mango, pineapple, and bananas.

With one of the eight different types of biscotti to go with your smoothie, you can have a light healthy lunch. There are three sizes of smoothies: 12 ounces, 16 ounces, and 20 ounces. Let your appetite and your conscience guide you. Or perhaps you would prefer one of those great big cinnamon rolls or a fresh warm muffin instead of biscotti.

Beignets are the most popular food at the Crescent City Coffee Shop. Mike makes these authentic New Orleans style fried dough temptations fresh in the shop. There are big ones and little ones. Also before 11:00 am, there are irresistible stuffed beignets, filled with ham and cheese or sausage and cheese.

While you enjoy your smoothie, look around for a newspaper or for someone with whom you can enjoy a lively conversation. If you don’t see any of your old friends, don’t despair. There are always people there who love to visit: soon you’ll have some new friends. If you have your laptop with you, check your e-mail while you enjoy your smoothie. Use the free WiFi; if you need a private connection, bring a cord to plug into the Ethernet.

I’ve noticed that the frappes are more popular than the smoothies, but I have not tried one because I’m too busy drinking the smoothies, Diet Cokes®, dark roast coffee, or hot blackberry sage tea with lemon.

Warning: Don't sit down in the Crescent City Coffee Shop unless you have hours to spend. You will have so much fun you won't want to leave.