Le Pain Quotidien off to a magnifique start

As I write this, it's Friday afternoon and I'm dipping freshly baked sourdough bread into freshly made chicken soup. Le Pain Quotidien opened Friday and it seems like half the Grove stopped by to enjoy it. All the tables were taken with happy, hungry Grovites. I overheard one lady ask about their catering services. She is getting prepared for the holidays with them in mind.

What's ironic is that I kept hearing people talk about going to Le Pain Quotidien in New York City and when I looked it up, I saw about 17 or 18 locations in Manhattan! What's odd to me is that I am in New York often, I am up north now as you read this, and in all these years, I've never stopped in or realized that Le Pain Quotidien is here (in NY). 

There is one near my favorite corner - 50th Street and 2nd Avenue. I do everything in that area - there's a Starbucks, a diner I like, there used to be a Pig and Whistle bar where my cousin performed, there's a newsstand a bodega, an Italian restaurant I like and so much more. I stayed at an AirBnB in that area once and loved it. A few blocks away is Beekman Place and Sutton Place and the river.

But I digress. I have been passing Le Pain Quotidien up all these years because I thought it was a bakery and didn't realize they have soups and food. The one I am familiar with has bread in the window and I once looked in and thought it was a coffee shop or bread bakery, sort of like Zak the Baker, so I never really went in.

But I've been missing all this delicious food. I will be sure to stop in for pastries for Thanksgiving this year at the 50th and 2nd location.  What I love about the Grove location is the people. They seem to be the nicest people - every one of them, all very polite with smiles on their faces.

Le Pain Quotidien in the Grove is located at 3425 Main Highway. We did a story on La Pain, with lots of photos here. You'll find menu items listed there and the times they are open, etc.