Le Pain Quotidien was always favorite stop of mine when I lived in the L.A. area.  I enjoyed the open-faced sandwiches, freshly baked bread, and delicious beverages.  But when I moved to Orange County, there was not a Le Pain Quotidien in sight.  Until now.

As luck would have it, Le Pain Quotidien opened in Fashion Island this past fall, and I’ve been itching to make a stop there.  When my mom suggested we burn off some of our Thanksgiving dinner by facing the Black Friday crowds at Fashion Island I made sure our lunch stop was at Le Pain Quotidien.

The interior of the Fashion Island restaurant was very similar to the ones I had experienced in LA – lots of big communal tables, glass displays of freshly baked goods, and a patio area.  Since it was a beautiful Southern California day, my mom and I opted to sit on the patio.

After perusing the menu and ordering much needed glasses of iced tea, I finally decided on the Paris Ham and Gruyere Tartine.

I was very pleased with this dish.  It came with a trio of different mustards and little cornichons on the side.  The ham and cheese were also very flavorful.  It was light, but not too light and left me satisfied.

My mom ordered the Tuscan Bean and Proscuitto salad, which I became immediately jealous of as soon as it emerged.

The salad came with arugula, parmesan and basil croutons which basically looked like cubes of Le Pain Quotidien’s freshly baked bread.  I tasted some of her salad and it was excellent.  Mental note made.  I will be ordering this next time.

It was a lovely lunch and the perfect fuel to get us through the rest of our Black Friday shopping.  I definitely want to make a stop at Le Pain Quotidien for breakfast in the near future, as their breakfast pastries cannot be beat!

Sorry for such the long hiatus, Le Pain Quotidien.  But fear not, I WILL be dining at you again in the near future.

Le Pain Quotidien

401 Newport Center Drive
Newport Beach, CA 92660