Le Pain Quotidien is a bakery and a communal table wrapped into one. This restaurant carries a very simple atmosphere. All the food offered here for the most part is organic based with no preservatives, which to the health conscious is certainly a plus! A few of things that I did enjoy about this establishment was the communal table setting, this gives the sole purpose of strangers, friends and family to choose to sit among those they know or share the opportunity to get to know someone else while choosing their choice from the dinning menu and waiting for their meal to be served. Le Pain endorses a community to be close and positive; this can be felt and seen with the service and environment of the restaurant. Their furniture is crafted from reclaimed wood, which helps to preserve the forests and wilderness in the long run! They also offer bread baking classes for those interested in becoming or refreshing their bakery knowledge and experience as well!
Their menu is made from simple ingredients yet the meal presentations show a wide array of complex artistic creativity. Their menu has a lot to offer and choose from, a few of these items are the following: Quiche Lorraine w/ ham, Swiss cheese and leeks on a whole wheat crust, Board of Fine Cheeses – a daily selection of aged and local cheeses, Mediterranean Plate w/ hummus, babaganoush, and quinoa taboulé (The Mediterranean Plate is a vegan plate.), Grilled Chicken & Smoked Mozzarella w/ arugula and basil pesto, Organic Brioche, Toasted Paris Ham & Gruyère Croissant w/ a mustard trio, Smoked Salmon & Scallion omelet, Side Arugula Salad (Another vegan choice) basil pesto and vinaigrette, with a side of Le Pain’s organic bread.
On the day we visited Le Pain, my lunch choice was a tartine (open sandwich). The tartine was called Roasted Turkey and Avocado; I was surprised at the size of the food proportions the meal was very creatively displayed but there wasn’t much there. Of course after I ate my meal and began to read further into the ingredients of my pallet’s selection, I noticed that the light and healthy meal was just the right size to leave me refreshed and full of energy to carry on the rest of the day! I consider the explanation of this due to the combination of healthy foods mixed with the fact the meal was low in carbs, sodium and lacked a lot of added sugar. Most meals are served with room temperature water as well.
There are many locations of Le Pain within the New York City area, as well as a few other states within the U.S., Le Pain is also found in other nations around the world as well! For those interested in more about Le Pain and their locations, what they offer with meals and bakery classes feel free to visit their site is: http://www.lepainquotidien.us/