Beignet and coffee cart opens on Indianola

Amidst the cold and snow today, there's a little extra warmth now on Indianola Avenue. Early Bird Food Truck opens today outside Indianola Church of Christ (2141 Indianola Ave.), near Campus. Owner Libby Glover hopes to bring a little taste of the French Quarter to Columbus, modeling her offerings after the famed beignet shop Cafe du Monde, meaning the focus here will be primarily beignets and coffee.

"It's a lot like a raised yeast doughnut," Glover says of her beignets. "It's a slightly more sophisticated doughnut."

From her trailer, Glover will serve beignet-style doughnuts dusted with powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar for $1 and beignets with fillings, such as raspberry, strawberry, Nutella, chocolate and custard, for $1.75. She will also offer hand pies in seasonal flavors including apple and cherry, for $3, and coffee drinks made with One Line Coffee roasts.

The semi-permanently parked truck is an extension of Four and Twenty Blackbird Bakeshop, a home-based bakery opened by Glover in January 2013. For nearly two years, Glover has sold her baked goods (like breads, cupcakes and muffins) at local farmers markets and online, but she was ready for the next step.

"I've always envisioned a little bakery," Glover says. "But I really fell in love with [the food truck] idea. The customer can see everything, and the cooks can really interact with the customers. It just feels more casual, more honest."

Glover has a degree in baking and pastry from Kendall College School of Culinary Arts in Chicago. When she moved to Columbus, she ran the bakery department at The Hills Market in Worthington, leaving to open Four and Twenty.

Early Bird is open Monday through Friday from 7 to 11 a.m., and Friday and Saturday 4 to 10 p.m.