Founded in 1718, New Orleans was the first designated capital of Louisiana. The very first Mardi Gras parade held in New Orleans was said to have taken place in the early 1800s.
The tradition expanded so greatly that it became synonymous with the city and celebrated amongst the residents of New Orleans and beyond those of French or Catholic heritage. The phrase “Laissez les bons temps rouler,” which translates to “Let the good times roll” in French, became the slogan of Mardi Gras celebrations.
Throughout Acadiana, Cajuns celebrate Courir de Mardi Gras. Courir de Mardi Gras, meaning “Fat Tuesday Run” in French, is a traditional Mardi Gras event that takes place on Mardi Gras day, which is the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday.
Since Mardi Gras is the last day before Lent, celebrants eat and drink heavily, dance, attend parades and dress in Mardi Gras-themed clothing and accessories, which consist of masks and costumes. The last parades are seen and celebrations come to an end with the Meeting of the Courts, more locally recognized as the Rex Ball.
King cake, also known as the three kings cake, is a cake associated with Mardi Gras celebrations. King cake is usually made from brioche dough, baked in an oval shape, filled with cinnamon, and coated with purple, green and gold glaze, which represent the theme colors of Mardi Gras.
One interesting fact about these colors is that each one holds a specific meaning. Purple represents justice, green represents faith and gold represents power. In its entirety, king cake is a symbol of faith.
Although I’ve had the pleasure of enjoying different king cakes around the Lafayette area, I do believe that Rickey Meche’s Donut King has by far the best.
Imagine biting into a warm piece of cake oozing with sweet bavarian cream filling. What about cream cheese? Or chocolate? Rickey Meche’s Donut King has a variety of fillings to choose from, and of course, the option of no filling at all.
Rickey Meche’s Donut King is a small, down-home feeling bakery. The pleasant aroma of freshly baked donuts fill the air. The staff were very friendly and welcoming. The space is limited, so it is not the best place to dine.
Rickey Meche’s Donut King offers an ample amount of delicious pastries to choose from. You can order from a variety of fillings of donuts, donut holes, cake donuts, kolaches and king cake.
Other pastries such as eclairs, cinnamon twists, apple fritters, cinnamon rolls and beignets are also offered. Pastries are reasonably priced with everything ranging between $1 – $3, however, I would consider the king cakes to be on the pricier side. Mini cakes are $17.30, small cakes are $28.14, medium cakes are $34.65 and large cakes are $45.49.
For this review, I decided to order a mini king cake with strawberry cream cheese filling. This cake was so soft and moist. The sweet, delectable flavor of strawberry cream cheese filled every bite. I really enjoyed the crunchiness of the sprinkled topping throughout each piece.
Although I was hesitant about trying this filling, as I am not a fan of strawberry, this cake was very delicious, and earned one of the highest recommendations from me for king cake flavors.
My overall experience with Rickey Meche’s Donut King was amazing. The bakery itself was very tidy. The customer service was very inviting. I was quickly serviced and waited no longer than 5 – 7 minutes for my order. I would recommend pre-ordering cakes, as wait times and availability can vary during the Mardi Gras season.
Rickey Meche’s Donut King has six different locations in the Acadiana area. I visited one of the Lafayette locations at the address: 402 Guilbeau Road in Lafayette. Make sure to top off the Mardi Gras season with some delicious king cake this year. This delicacy is definitely the sweetest of Mardi Gras traditions.