This morning, I was thinking about beignets again. Those puffy little French pastries with a dusting of powdered sugar on top that taste like……, like what? Well, delightful for sure, awesome is more like it. "Special" is what they are.

Back in my days of airplanes and of travel, some fellow pilots and flight attendants would actually bid to fly New Orleans layovers in part due to the temptation of these little delightful French creations. Well, maybe not just for the Beignets…

Beignets are made of some secret formula of dough, dipped in a fryer, created in much the same way a doughnut is, Julia the famous French Chef would know, and I bet she made her fair share of them. Once they are out of the fryer and cool, a lovely white powdered sugar is sprinkled atop to finish them off and make them oh so good.

Having a home in the township of Alamo, California is also delightful. It is special too when you take into account all the enjoyable people who live here, all the great places to hang out for coffee or a full-blown meal. Notably, Alamo is not far from Broadway Plaza in nearby Walnut Creek, or even downtown San Francisco, both areas noted for power-shopping.

Nothing in California is very far away from Alamo, and much of what you could want is right in town. Like the Alamo Wine and Music Festival, Hot August Nights for classic automobile lovers, Concerts in Livorna Park, great restaurants, and don’t tell everyone: there are Beignets here too.

According to Alamo Luxury Homes, the area is one of a kind special, even a microclimate where the sun shines when surrounding communities are all "socked-in." It has benefits to offer residents via way of dining, recreation (Iron Horse Trail), and natural beauty (Las Trampas Forest and Mt. Diablo State Park) that is pleasing to Executives, professional athletes and normal people alike. Great accessibility to the Napa Valley wine country, the cultural centers of San Francisco, skiing and entertainment fun at Lake Tahoe proves how valuable it is to be centrally-located in this wonderful Golden State. There had to be a special formula employed to make up this pleasant place to live, and interestingly, the Miwok Indians found this spot first an estimated 5000 years ago.

Oh, yes, I was talking beignets…

Due to early French cultural influence, New Orleans is famous for them. I recall stopping the crew bus at Café Du Monde on the way from the hotel to the airport, buying two huge bags of beignets: one for the guys up front and one for my flight attendants. Of course, more than one of the Flight Attendants would say they didn’t "want any". They said, "thanks, we will just share them with our passengers".

But, out at the airport and all of us finished with preflight checks, I would notice white powdered sugar streaked artistically up and down the aisle of the jet. It had to have been menehunes who put it there, as passengers had not boarded and for sure my co-workers "didn’t want any". Beignets are simply like potato chips: they are irresistible and it is really hard to eat just one.

Here is a little secret: Chef Ray of MaggieRays Barbeque in Alamo puts out some of the most delightful Beignets I have ever had. You only have to worry about sprinkling your automobile with powdered sugar if you don’t "want any".

Café du Monde makes their beignets very much the same way as Ray, but fortunately flights to New Orleans are not required to get yours. MaggieRays Barbeque is a great place all on its own, with a mouth-watering menu of barbecue delights such as pulled pork, brisket, and wonderfully grilled chicken. Operated by a young husband and wife team and assisted by nice staff, it is the kind of small business you just want to see do great.

MaggieRays is special too, just like their Beignets. Having your home in Alamo is indeed delightful.