I was wet. I was cold. I was tired. I was in the mood for something familiar.
And so Kyle and I went across the street to Le Pain Quotidien, a bakery and cafe with a veg friendly menu that I already know and love.
Sorry about the lack of light. I started with tea.
We shared two appetizers. First, the soup of the day, a (vegan) broccoli soup. And second, the seasonal tartine with sweet pea hummus, garden vegetables and smoked tea vinaigrette.
I’d had this particular dish on my mind for a while, ever since Gena posted about it a few weeks ago, in fact.
It was awesome. Really awesome. So light and fluffy and flavorful! The soup, however, was rather bland. Watery almost. Neither Kyle nor I liked it, so it was neglected after a few bites.
Kyle’s entree was the Vegetarian Quiche with spinach, mushrooms, leeks and Swiss cheese on a whole wheat crust. He loved it. I got the Asian Organic Tofu with tri-colored slaw and miso-ponzu dressing. I also loved it.
The dressing was perfect (and not heavily doused on the greens either). Plus the huge chunks of tofu were plentiful but not excessive.
On our way out I started eyeing the baked goods, especially the latest addition to LPQ, the rawnola. I was told “no photos” mid-shot, so that’s why it’s blurry. FYI, you can get a bag of it to-go, or order it off the (seasonal) menu as a part of the vegan parfait (with acai soy yogurt, chia seeds, and sprouted buckwheat rawnola with goji berries). Mega yum, right?
Another seasonal special? The vegan carrot cake with citrus icing and pistachios.
I would have ordered one, but I already had one waiting for me back at our hotel room. :)
Which was what I had for dessert an hour later.
Thank you LPQ for having delicious innovative vegan options for every meal – breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, snack, etc.
Next on my to-try list:
- Vegan Cranberry Acai Muffin
- Avocado Tartine with chickpeas, cucumbers and spicy tahini
- Organic Black Bean Hummus with avocado and spicy tahini
- Wheatgrass & Citrus Spritzer lightly sweetened with organic agave
Ordinarily, reading recaps of peoples trips(and generally more exciting lives than mine) would booore me.
But NOT you Elise! You and your writing captivate me:), I genuinely enjoy and look forward to every single one of your posts.
LPQ looks fantastic- my tastebuds envy yours. Those baked goods, Oy!
And iv always wanted to try black bean hummus. I wonder what the chances of them opening up in Scotland are?( Incredibly doubtful:/).
Xxx
It’s funny reading this because I just went to Le Pain Quotidien in London a few weeks ago. I’ve been living here since August and always enjoy trying new restaurants. At first, I didn’t even realize they were a chain. Lately I’ve seen them all over London though. Do you know where they originated? I had a great meal too – glad you enjoyed your food as well!
Haha after all the rough experiences you’ve had so far in DC, you totally deserved to go somewhere safe and familiar!
Oh, LPQ has always been so amazing as the perfect omni and veg friendly place to go…. I read an article about the man who founded LPQ and i fell in love with the place so much more. He spoke in the article about how he thought vegan was the future for health, the environment and sustainability and how he knew it was a poor business decision to take all meat/cheese off the menu but his goal was to have a 50percent vegan menu in the next two years- and not to shove it in anyones face, but to quietly introduce delicious organic food that just so happened to not have animal products. I am so distressed he is married and lives in the french countryside in an idyllic villa and gardens surrounding…. Oops that was a long comment!
The tartine and dessert look Am-a-zing! You are so fortunate to have access to such amazing eateries!
i agree!
oh my gosh now i TOO am in love with the guy. what a wonderful approach to balancing business goals and health/environmental goals. damn. does he want a mistress in his villa in the country??
i think its a belgian company? the link i provided from my other review (an LPQ in nyc) had more background info on the founder. and another commenter below noted more info about his personal philosophy in case you were wondering. 🙂
maybe not though – i know for certain they are in london and madrid (and i think they are a belgian company!)
oh and btw, thanks so so much for the kind note about my writing. its such a joy to know that others (besides me) like travel recaps 🙂
though i tend to shy away from chains, LPQ is my guilty pleasure. it’s so nice going into a place and knowing that you’re going to be met with quality ingredients, deliciously and healthfully presented. if only everything was $3 cheaper…
i was torn between the sweet pea hummus and the seasonal frittata when i went for lunch earlier this week; i ended up with the frittata (which was great, as their frittatas typically are, especially b/c it comes with a side of their bread) but now i have to go back for that tartine.
i have the same problem when i go…i always want multiple things!
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