Great Moments in Franchise Food: Le Pain QuotidienI should be against it on principle alone: a chain that tries to replicate the experience of the French boulangerie, communal tables and all? Ick, right? Well, Le Pain Quotidien almost manages to pull it off. Their Soho store, where I had lunch with a group of friends this week, feels as close to a fine dining experience as I've ever had for $12. The menu was full of highlights – maybe a little too full. I found myself almost uncomfortably torn between the fresh ricotta, honey and figs on multigrain bread, or the fresh fench rolls with hazelnut spread and apricot jam. I ended up going the complete opposite direction, and ordered the Quiche Lorraine. In taste and texture, the quiche itself was just a few notches above serviceable, but it came with an excellent green salad and a chunk of fresh, crusty bread. The whole thing cost $11 before tax and tip – which, for a meal that size made from fresh, organic ingredients in lower Manhattan, is kind of a steal. The only problem seems unavoidable: scale. The plates at Le Pain Quotidien feel puffed with air, helium-filled inflations of what you'd get at a place like Bay Bread in San Francisco. I was satisfied with my meal (and it should be noted that the service was incredible), but not satisfied enough to clear my nagging suspicion that I was dining on widgets. |
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