Le Pain Quotidien - Pasadena

I really like Le Pain. It is a cute, cozy, and chill cafe that serves well made food. Their food is well thought out and pretty healthy. Of course, the do have a freshly made pastries and desserts that can get a bit dangerous! I have eaten here a few times and have gotten the tartines. They are small open faced sandwiches topped with fresh ingredients. I really like the egg and spinach one. I have also ordered their bean soup and it was delicious!! It was vegan, but did not taste that way at all. Lots of flavor and filling. I have heard that their other soups are very good as well. They change on a daily basis. I would definitely come here for lunch and get a bowl of hearty soup. Quick, easy, and healthy! more

i came across this place while traveling on business, desperate for something healthy after a few days of travel-food. le pain quotidien was just the thing - oatmeal, fresh fruit, excellent coffee; also, great service and a lovely morning atmosphere. it's my new morning-stop staple when working out of the pasadena office, for certain. more

I went to Le Pain in Old Town Pasadena for the first time today and it was very good. I ordered their Chicken Cobb Salad and my girlfriend ordered a chicken (or turkey, I forget) mozzarella sandwich with pesto. My salad was excellent. Instead of the usual romaine, it had mixed greens and dill. Their creamy vinaigrette was very good. They only put it on the top though and I had to ask for more. I guess skinny people don't use that much dressing. My girl's sandwich was better than my salad but the plate was so small. The plate was literally the size of the sandwich so one slight nudge, and you're lamenting the loss of chicken to the table (that is if you're a germaphobe like me). Anyway, the taste was outstanding! I also tried their hot green tea and it was very good. Then I topped it off with the mixed berry tart dessert. The fruits were fresh and sweet. I guess the only thing I was weirded out by was the communal table which we sat at. It's a long table where you can sit across from and next to strangers. That's exactly what we ended up doing and it was a little awkward. This little kid kept kicking me because he was so excited that he got his parfait. Then directly in front of me was an attractive young woman who when it seemed like everytime I looked in her direction, an entire yocto-second, she would catch me. She probably thought I was gawking at her. You get the picture. Next time, I'm asking for the tiny table by the restrooms.....yes, there will be a next time Pros: Good food that's good for you Cons: Sitting at the communal table wasn't for me. You might like it though. more