Is there a word for something that meets even your very high expectations? If there is, it’s probably German and has at least six syllables. If there isn’t, it’s a prime candidate for one of “Robin Laws'”:http://www.livejournal.com/users/robin_d_laws/ Neologisms of the Moment.

New Orleans has been good so far, but most of it has fallen short of my (admittedly high) expectations. Until this morning, that is. 9:30 AM on a Sunday is not the right time to visit Cafe Du Monde, because it’s full of tourists — the right time would probably have to be around five in the morning after an all-night bender. It was crowded, and the service was pretty bad, and Ella was squirming up a storm. At that moment I thought to myself: “_nothing_ in New Orleans has been as good as I thought it would be.” But then came my cafe au lait and beignets — they were just that good, and more. A definite ________.

See, I told you we need a word for that . . .

UPDATE: Today is a good day for ________. This time it’s the red beans and rice at Huey’s Diner, served with a big slab of andouille sausage. A tad pricey (for a diner) but absolutely worth it. Plus, the place has free wi-fi. Groovy.

UPDATE: Don’t miss the heap o’ recommendations down in the comments! UPDATE: Er, that’s recommendations for stuff to do in NO, not ideas for the word I need . . .

UPDATE: Ladies and gentlemen, “we have a word”:http://www.polytropos.org/archives/000451.html!