Le Pain Quotidien
We have our very own Le Pain Quotidien in Bethesda
now, on our new pedestrian street called "Bethesda
Lane", which has awesome written all over it. I wish
I took my camera with me yesterday. It's such a cosy
little lane, with boutique stores on either side. I
could spend all day in it! (On the other hand, Tapi
thinks I can even spend hours in my local Patel store
and not get bored)
There are some places that introduce themselves slowly, making their charms and allures known over time. And thus with Bethesda Lane, although visibly interesting as we walked past it, it never got the attention it deserved all these months. But, now I want to know everything about it. It’s a really cool space, and something about it makes you feel right at home. I took to it like flies to honey, seals to water, sheep to grass, frogs to lily pads... :)
If you haven't been to Le Pain Quotidien, I would highly recommend it, with a forewarning that the food is decadently delicious and "so not good for you", even though they will like you to think of it as "wholesome and nourishing". They have bakeries all over the world, and encourage communal dining, with a long table in the middle that you can sit around. However, we went a bit non-communal, and sat next to the window for the view of the outside. There's something about that place that makes you want to linger and graze for hours. We sank in our chairs, with the fireplace right behind us and talked for hours over really good Tartines and tea.
As I was just about to leave, I realized I had 8 cups of Lapsang Souchong; a whole plate of Aged Gruyere tartines topped with Mango, Cornichons, and Sundried-tomatoes; and half a plate of Honey-coated Ricotta and Fig Tartines with sprinkles of Tomatoes and Peppers. It was heavenly!
I tried to keep away from the takeaway counter, but it was hard not to notice all the cheese muffins, baguettes and the buttery madeleines, sitting there waiting to indulge you. I think I take comfort in knowing that I can go back whenever I want. I plan to attack the dessert section next.
Incidentally, I learnt that it is a "certified green restaurant" and follows a whole bunch of ecologically-minded practices. For instance, the communal table is made with reclaimed wood from vintage Belgian train cars (!). They use nontoxic cleaning solutions, which I believe is a huge achievement, and quite a challenge when it comes to keeping restaurant kitchens clean. And then there are the organic to-go-cups and spoons that disintegrate in 30 to 90 days, organic food that’s produced locally... they use sustainable seafood and free-range meats. They have free-trade coffee even!
I can see myself picking up their organic jams, tea and chocolates often! Even their bread is so firm and crusty. The story goes that their chef Alain Coumont was so unhappy with the bread that he began to make his own old-style daily bread using stone ground flour, natural levain and salt. Which, goes back to my recurring question - what made man complicate his life over the centuries and then simplify things all of a sudden. Take our sense of design for instance – we have gone from exceedingly ornate to the new minimalist "clean and simple" trend! (more on this later..)
I can’t end this post with anything but that the waiter was really cute! :)
There are some places that introduce themselves slowly, making their charms and allures known over time. And thus with Bethesda Lane, although visibly interesting as we walked past it, it never got the attention it deserved all these months. But, now I want to know everything about it. It’s a really cool space, and something about it makes you feel right at home. I took to it like flies to honey, seals to water, sheep to grass, frogs to lily pads... :)
If you haven't been to Le Pain Quotidien, I would highly recommend it, with a forewarning that the food is decadently delicious and "so not good for you", even though they will like you to think of it as "wholesome and nourishing". They have bakeries all over the world, and encourage communal dining, with a long table in the middle that you can sit around. However, we went a bit non-communal, and sat next to the window for the view of the outside. There's something about that place that makes you want to linger and graze for hours. We sank in our chairs, with the fireplace right behind us and talked for hours over really good Tartines and tea.
As I was just about to leave, I realized I had 8 cups of Lapsang Souchong; a whole plate of Aged Gruyere tartines topped with Mango, Cornichons, and Sundried-tomatoes; and half a plate of Honey-coated Ricotta and Fig Tartines with sprinkles of Tomatoes and Peppers. It was heavenly!
I tried to keep away from the takeaway counter, but it was hard not to notice all the cheese muffins, baguettes and the buttery madeleines, sitting there waiting to indulge you. I think I take comfort in knowing that I can go back whenever I want. I plan to attack the dessert section next.
Incidentally, I learnt that it is a "certified green restaurant" and follows a whole bunch of ecologically-minded practices. For instance, the communal table is made with reclaimed wood from vintage Belgian train cars (!). They use nontoxic cleaning solutions, which I believe is a huge achievement, and quite a challenge when it comes to keeping restaurant kitchens clean. And then there are the organic to-go-cups and spoons that disintegrate in 30 to 90 days, organic food that’s produced locally... they use sustainable seafood and free-range meats. They have free-trade coffee even!
I can see myself picking up their organic jams, tea and chocolates often! Even their bread is so firm and crusty. The story goes that their chef Alain Coumont was so unhappy with the bread that he began to make his own old-style daily bread using stone ground flour, natural levain and salt. Which, goes back to my recurring question - what made man complicate his life over the centuries and then simplify things all of a sudden. Take our sense of design for instance – we have gone from exceedingly ornate to the new minimalist "clean and simple" trend! (more on this later..)
I can’t end this post with anything but that the waiter was really cute! :)
