Le Pain Quotidien Coconut Grove – At Last, Delicious Bread for Miami!
Le Pain Quotidien is a world-renowned bakery that features organic daily hand-made bread. It began its humble start in the country of Brussels in 1990 by Alain Coumont. Alain began his culinary career as just a little boy watching his aunt bake her bread and pastries every Sunday. His entire family background is steeped in the world of cooking, with a father who was trained as a chef and his mother’s parents owning a restaurant. With all this history in the making of this delightful spot, we certainly knew we for in for a gastronomic treat! Alain couldn’t find bread that was close to the rustic recipes of his youth, and thus Le Pain Quotidien was born- which translates to “The Daily Bread”. There are now over 200 locations throughout the world and now Miamians can finally have their daily bread too!
So what about Le Pain Quotidien’s bread makes it so special? For starters, they only use 5 ingredients in their bread. That’s it! Organic whole-wheat flour, sea salt, water, levain, and time. Instead of using traditional yeast to rise the bread, Le Pain Quotidien utilizes a natural sourdough starter that gives the bread that uniquely rich aroma and flavor. Their breads come in 5 varieties- wheat, baguette, rye, 5-grain, and flute as pictured below in a mouth-watering basket that greeted us at our table. Another special aspect of this restaurant is their communal style dining. There are long rustic tables where everyone can sit together-friends and strangers alike! This is a ground-breaking concept for this area and something I hope allows for patrons to relax and enjoy food with the prospect of socializing and getting to know others who appreciate the same.
Le Pain Quotidien not only focuses on just organic daily-made fresh bread, they also have an amazing breakfast, lunch, and dinner menu. Almost everything we consumed bore the glorious USDA Organic label, right down to the jams and even the beer and wine! This made me so happy, I adore knowing that I’m getting the cleanest possible ingredients with my meals. The prices in the menu are also quite modest, so eating delicious and clean food here will not destroy your wallet either.
Our tasting began with the beautiful dragon fruit smoothie bowl that was almost a shame to eat because it was so gorgeous. Made of perfectly blended dragon fruit with coconut yogurt, I loved that it didn’t taste like it was full of chunks of ice, it was so creamy and delicious. Topped with kiwi, fresh berries, banana, chia, and granola- it was literally perfection!
Next we tasted the Salmon tartine. If you haven’t tried a tartine before, it is the Belgium version of an open-faced sandwich and it will make your taste-buds sing! Cleverly incorporating their divine sourdough bread into this dish, the smoked Salmon with avocado, scallions, and dill was a dream come true. I loved this much more than the traditional lox and capers bagel setup.
Transitioning into the lunch menu, we were served my favorite dish of the night- the zucchini noodle pad thai. My mouth is watering as I write about it again! Made with red peppers, cabbage, arugula, toasted cashews, cilantro, and tossed in a sesame-cashew dressing it was simply amazing. The myriad of fresh and savory flavors blended so well, I wanted to eat it twice and not even bother with the rest of the menu!
Moving on to the dinner menu, we tried the delectable roasted wild salmon. Lying atop a bed of smashed avocado and a roasted corn aioli garnish, it was tender and hearty with the fresh creaminess of the avocados balancing out the flavors exceptionally. It was interesting to be served salmon with the skin on, however well worth it because once the skin was removed the salmon was quite juicy and well-cooked.
To top off what has been the best dining experience so far, our dessert was served with a flourish! This is actually also a breakfast item, but I’ll have dessert for breakfast any day as long as it tastes this heavenly! This warm Belgian waffle was fluffier then a pillow and toasty brown. It complemented perfectly with the dollop of silky cream and berries laden atop. A fresh pinch of mint and a sprinkle of powdered sugar brought together the dish in what was the best way to end the evening.
After eating this glorious meal, I simply cannot wait until I return to Le Pain Quotidien. I am ecstatic that I don’t have to consider flying to New York to have healthy and organic meals made with love and dedication in my mouth. Whether you are wanting a delightful way to start your day, or catch up with friends in a cozy environment (or maybe even make new ones at the communal tables!) LPQ should definitely be your top choice when in the Grove. Keep an eye out on their site for their schedule of baking classes! Yes, you read that right! You can learn how to make these delicious creations at your house too!
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