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Bryant Park Le Pain Quotidien Sandwich Size Puts ‘wichcraft to Shame
Le Pain Quotidien, the bread/sandwich/salad/bakery chain from Brussels, quietly opened its second Midtown location back in October on 40th St. btw. 5+6th, across from Bryant Park. It probably wasn’t all that quiet to LPQ fans in the area, but for this hater of expensive Midtown bread/sandwich/salad/bakery chains it went virtually unnoticed. After Profiled Midtown Lunch’er Janine mentioned it last Tuesday, I thought maybe it was time to go check it out. While I normally detest paying over $7 for a sandwich, if it’s done right- with really nice ingredients, I will occasionally splurge for something really good. ‘wichcraft has managed to rope me in despite having tiny sandwiches. LPQ will have to a little better to lure me away from my goto Bryant Park lunch.
Two sandwiches attempt to be worth $9, and the biggest cookie in Midtown- after the jump…
When you enter the Bryant Park location of Le Pain Quotidien you have two options. Stay to the right, and end up sitting down in the restaurant part of the operation, which is decidedly out of the Midtown Lunch price range. Or you can get on line to the left, and take something to go. They have 3 to-go menus written out on blackboards for you to choose from. We instantly ignored the salad board, which actually had the audacity to feature a $14 cobb salad. All I have to say is that bacon better have been coated in more expensive bacon to warrant that price.
The other two blackboards feature a list of sandwiches. For $7.50 you can get any number of baguettes, including paris ham with gruyere, roast beef with parmesan and pesto, grilled chicken or a simple brie with cranberry chutney. To the right of that is a list of tartines, or open faced sandwiches, which when ordered to go are served closed face. Made with wheat bread, these sandwiches are $8.50 to $9.50. I liked the choices, but hated the price… so it was all going to come down to two things- taste and size. ‘wichcraft, which has a location across the street in Bryant Park, uses really great ingredients, in really interesting combos- but the sandwiches are notoriously tiny. I was pretty interested in seeing what LPQ was going to offer (and fully prepared to be angry.)
Surprisingly both of the tartines we ordered were a really good size. They use very large slices of pretty delicious wheat bread, and then cut them into 3 parts (each almost the size of a full sandwich at ‘wichcraft.) I really love curry chicken salad (one of the reasons I was even willing to try out LPQ), and this version was interesting. Not sweet at all (a quality that will probably fan just as many fans as detractors), it benefited enormously from the addition of the cranberry chutney they included in the box. Really tasty, and filling with a nice curry flavor.
But the real star of the day was the ricotta tartine with mission fig, black pepper and honey. As big as the curry chicken sandwich, the sweet honey mixed with the creamy ricotta made this more like dessert than a lunch sandwich. Amazing. And it put to shame the $9 goat cheese and avocado sandwich at ‘wichcraft- both in size and taste.
There is one final reason to LPQ and that is the largest chocolate chip cookie I’ve ever seen in Midtown. At $3 it will put you over the Midtown Lunch price limit, so it’s best saved for a late afternoon snack, or as a dessert to a cheaper lunch somewhere else. At about 5 inches wide, pretty thin, and crunchy more than soft, it’s not the best cookie in Midtown, but super tasty nonetheless and worth the money when you account for size. Plus you can’t put a price on the looks you’ll get from your co-workers when you return from lunch and whip out the biggest cookie they’ve ever seen. (I don’t know if the photo does it justice, but it is gasp worthy… although hopefully I’m not building it up too much.)
LPQ will not make everyone happy, and it’s still slightly upsetting to spend $10 and just get a sandwich (no drink or chips or nothin’), but every once in awhile it’s nice to eat some quality food at Midtown Lunch’ish prices. Having Bryant Park across the street isn’t too shabby either.
THE + (What somebody who likes this place would say)
- Quality ingredients, really nice flavor combinations
- If you like wheat bread, you’ll love the tartines
- The honey and ricotta combo is amazing
- The sandwiches are bigger than ‘wichcraft
- I love curry chicken salad (especially when it’s not sweet)
- Tartines comes with a few pieces of fruit too
- You can take your food right across the street to Bryant Park
THE - (What somebody who doesn’t like this place would say)
- I ain’t paying $10 for a sandwich unless it comes with fries and a drink or something!
- It’s too expensive
- For that price I’d rather have a hot sandwich from ‘wichcraft. These sandwiches are all cold.
- The curry chicken salad has too much mayo, and isn’t sweet
- The only seating for the cheaper take out menu are tables without chairs at the front of the restaurant
Le Pain Quotidien, 70 West 40th Street (btw. 6+7th.) 212 354 5224
There is another location on 7th Ave. & 58th St. Do they have the same menu? Comment below if you’ve been…
Posted: June 26th, 2008 under 'wichcraft, *7th Ave. btw. 58+59th, 40th btw. 5+6th, Le Pain Quotidien, Sandwiches, Sweets.
Comments: 28
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Comments
Comment from Harvey Fishman
Time: June 26, 2008, 12:26 pm
Zach, it looks like you used the same picture for both sandwiches.
Harvey
Comment from Dahkter
Time: June 26, 2008, 12:33 pm
Good write up and good pics, enjoyed the shot of the giant cookie!
We really need a Philly hoagie shop here in NYC, if they can do it with cheesesteaks, why not hoagies? Chicky’s or Lee’s would make a killing in midtown…
Comment from anon
Time: June 26, 2008, 12:34 pm
i think there’s some confusion. LPQ or LPK? last time i checked, LPK was louisiana pizza kitchen…
Comment from Zach@MidtownLunch
Time: June 26, 2008, 12:37 pm
LPK and Photo, both fixed. thanks!
Comment from thankyoulove
Time: June 26, 2008, 12:46 pm
I can’t imagine a legit hoagie place in midtown. Really I can’t imagine one outside of philly. And while i see the words philly style cheese steaks all around NYC I’ve never had one that tasted like a philly cheese steak.
Comment from Rudy McBagel
Time: June 26, 2008, 12:54 pm
Thats not a cookie, thats Dochuck dropping…..it can be found on most sites he/she has infected.you can see that girl in the photo has jumped away from the counter after realis(z)ing what it is.
Would of loved to of seen the roast beef baguettes,Zach.
I pay £7.50 for the same from pret a manger here, so bitchin’ about 4 quid for a great sarnie makes me smile…then I pick on a short person.
Comment from Nate
Time: June 26, 2008, 12:56 pm
Louisiana Pizza Kitchen? That’s a concept I could get behind!
Comment from dyno
Time: June 26, 2008, 12:59 pm
You got a little child to hold that cookie! That’s not your hand!
Comment from Adam
Time: June 26, 2008, 1:01 pm
Lee’s Hoagie Shop is awesome! I used to go to one in West Philly. Bring it on!!!
Comment from wayne
Time: June 26, 2008, 1:03 pm
If that’s a DocChuck dropping, i bet it fell out flat and didn’t touch the sides on the way.
Comment from SMDNY
Time: June 26, 2008, 1:31 pm
The choc chip cookies are totally that huge.
I LOVE the chicken and egg baguette - the bread is perfect and it has just enough dijon mustard to give it some flavor. For those attempting to budget, the madeleine cake (lemony and buttery) at around $3 is the most bang for your dessert buck. Thanks for writing this up - I was wondering about the size of the tartines.
It’s really not worth sitting in the restaurant for lunch. The service is slow and the tartines are actually smaller, open faced sandwiches (they are tasty, just really small). It is worth it for breakfast, when you can order a bread basket and coffee and carb out with all the jellies and spreads they offer.
Comment from Sarah
Time: June 26, 2008, 3:23 pm
Louisiana Pizza Kitchen = Two Boots, no?
Comment from Tina
Time: June 26, 2008, 3:27 pm
I highly recommend the Belgian chocolate brownie at LPQ. It’s rich and fudge-y, sure it might go over the $10 budget with a sandwich but it’s a nice treat for yourself.
Comment from Zach@MidtownLunch
Time: June 26, 2008, 3:27 pm
@sarah - i was thinking the excact same thing!
Comment from Bossman
Time: June 26, 2008, 3:38 pm
The boss is in from London so I was looking for any reason to leave the office, alas, the 58th st location has but one blackboard with the days specials for the restaurant. No evidence of sandwiches on the bakery counter although the bread did look awesome.
I spied the cookie, and it’s basically the same size one can get at Hot N’ Crusty or the French pastry joint next to Cinnabon on the Penn Station concourse, but LPQ wants a $1 more ($2.05/$1.95 respectively) and the other two joints have 5-6 flavors (oatmeal raisin, Chinese, peanut butter, black and white, etc.) I didn’t grab one to compare taste but I’d be hard pressed to imagine what could make it $1 better failing a complimentary peak at the counter girl with the french maid apron sans other clothing.
Comment from DubbininBklyn
Time: June 26, 2008, 4:09 pm
“Say what you want, just spell my name right” RunDmc..
The pic is right next to the blog title…
Comment from Rudy McBagel
Time: June 26, 2008, 4:16 pm
…..and whilst Dubbin is being perdantic…….using ‘@’ to reply to a previous poster; very rude(y).
I much prefer to hold the ladies hand….and look into her blue,brown,green,greys and in Mrs.Chucky case bloodshot, than use the ‘@’.
Comment from LC
Time: June 26, 2008, 4:21 pm
@Dahkter and Adam: I’m with you on the Lee’s. My mouth started watering as soon as I read the comment, and now I am saddened by the lack of hoagie fulfillment.
Comment from ESNY
Time: June 26, 2008, 4:39 pm
Umm, Bossman, maybe my math is off, but isn’t $2.05 vs. $1.95 only $0.10 more? Unless you count having to use three crisp singles to pay for the $2.05 cookie?
Comment from DocChuck
Time: June 26, 2008, 5:57 pm
My bodily functions are quite obviously not your business. I will share information on them as ONLY I see fit.
Those sandwiches look loose, runny and ill-composed, if you ask me. Not to mention pretentiously overpriced.
Comment from Bossman
Time: June 26, 2008, 8:04 pm
@ESNY
LBQ= $3
Hot ‘N Crusty = $2.05
French joint abutting Cinnabon = $1.95
The latter two give you a choice of at least 5 varieties
You do the math.
I’m more surprised Rudy didn’t comment on (or be labeled with) the Hot N’ Crusty moniker than the dodgy ciphering acumen.
Comment from Eliane
Time: June 26, 2008, 11:03 pm
OK, as a Belgian, I am totally biaised: I simply love this place. It’s simple and very good, great quality product. The tartines are very nice. I would be curious to taste the baguettes I saw on the blackboard on the picture - btw, they were cheaper than what you choose. ;)
They are quickly growing and have more than two locations around town (probably not mentionable here as not in Midtown) but yes, the menu is pretty similar. As it is in Los Angeles too.
I no longer try the salads: they are terrific but way too big. Hence the price, I guess.
In the winter, you can also have a delicious soup.
Comment from famdoc
Time: June 27, 2008, 9:54 am
I am guilty of eating at LPQs from New York to Claremont, California.
I love their breads, spreads, sandwiches (particularly their vegan faux-meat sandwiches). I detest the fact that every single store looks the same. How many Belgian farmhouses do we need in the world?
Comment from Drucky
Time: June 27, 2008, 12:48 pm
We have 2 (that I know of) LPQ’s here in Los Angeles. The menus and store setups are exactly the same. LPQ has never disappointed in taste and service. The price, as you noted, is a bit high for a lunch, but always worth it.
Comment from stevenp
Time: June 27, 2008, 1:26 pm
F ‘wichcraft and any other restaurant that has crap^h^h^h craft in its name. Pretentious, overpriced skimpy offerings, I tell ya!
Comment from Stephanie
Time: July 16, 2008, 2:52 pm
Zach - I have a complaint. I have been going to my nearest LPQ (this one on 40th and 6th) and I love everything I have gotten from there. I think the baguette sandwiches are a great deal at 7.50 ( i love the chicken with herb dressing) but lately I have not been able to get one of these. My lunch is a bit later in the day (2:30 PM) but the last 4 times I have gone there, they never have any baguettes left. I really do not understand this as they are a BAKERY as well. How do you run out of the basic ingredients? If they are going to keep operating in this busy part of Manhattan, I really think they need to plan better at keeping themselves stocked or I will just give up and never go back.
Comment from Bossman
Time: July 16, 2008, 3:16 pm
Stephanie,
It’s not that we’re totally unsympathetic but the deadbeat won’t even pay the Sugo bill so don’t count on him moving this too far up on his list.
http://midtownlunch.com/blog/2008/07/11/airing-of-grievances-sugo-owes-me-money/
Comment from Stephanie
Time: July 17, 2008, 1:28 pm
hah thanks Bossman :) I think that is hilarious about the Sugo bill. It gave me a laugh the other day. Now I have to decide what I want to eat today! It is too dang hot!
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