Fashion Island Bakery & Café Le Pain Quotidien Offers Fresh Holiday Pies | Thanksgiving Day Pickup Available!

Newport Beach, CA (November 2011) – Belgian bakery and café Le Pain Quotidien at Fashion Island, will offer new entertaining and gift options for the holidays, including fresh pies that can be pre-ordered for Thanksgiving. Through November 27th, guests may place orders for Le Pain Quotidien’s fresh-baked Pumpkin, Apple, and Pecan pies. All orders placed at the bakery counter by 7 p.m. can be picked up the following day, including Thanksgiving Day until 3 p.m. (after which time the restaurant will be closed until the following morning).

Whole Pie Options are as follows:

* Pumpkin Pie with a whole wheat crust… $18.95
* Apple Pie with a whole wheat crust… $19.95
* Pecan Pie with brown sugar and a touch of bourbon with a whole wheat crust… $21.95

“With an on-site bakery, we are able to bring residents across Orange County fresh baked goods on a daily basis, making it especially convenient to entertain during the holidays,” comments Jonathan Eng, Head Baker at Le Pain Quotidien’s Fashion Island location. “Also popular are our Holiday Gift Baskets, which contain baked goods, along with our signature specialty products packaged together to make the perfect gift.”

Hours of operation for Thanksgiving weekend are as follows: Thursday, November 24 (Thanksgiving Day) from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Friday, November 25 (Black Friday) from 8 a.m. – 9 p.m.; and Saturday, November 26th from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Normal hours of operation are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.

Le Pain Quotidien is located within Fashion Island’s Pacific Court (401 Newport Center Drive #1103, Newport Beach). For more information, including menus, catering information and baking classes, call 949-287-5592 or visit www.lepainquotidien.us (www.facebook.com/lepainquotidien.usa or www.twitter.com/lepainquotidien).

BREAD BAKING CLASSES
Guests are invited to learn the secrets to Le Pain Quotidien’s organic breads during hands-on classes on the Basics of Bread Baking. The classes, which are offered at 5:30 p.m. every Tuesday and Saturday at the restaurant’s in-house bakery, have been a popular holiday gift. Price per student is $55 for an intensive, hands-on three-hour class led by Head Baker Jonathan Eng, who instructs students on the basics of dough and how it can be made into many delicious products, including baguettes, soft, buttery rolls, and fruit and nut loaves. All classes are limited to 6 students, and can be booked online at http://conta.cc/labbcal.

Basics of Bread Baking covers the ten steps in the process of making bread, and students have the opportunity to participate in each one, from selecting ingredients, to kneading a dough by hand, to shaping, scoring and baking (and, of course, tasting).

Each class is conducted under the watchful eye of Baker Jonathan Eng, a graduate of the French Culinary Institute in New York, where he gained a strong foundation on the history and baking of artisanal bread. Since joining Le Pain Quotidien in 2010, he has been developing a curriculum at the Bleecker Street Bakery in New York City.

The Fashion Island location is only one of two Le Pain Quotidien locations worldwide to feature an on-site bakery with baking classes open to the public. The bakery, which is in full view of diners, serves as an educational hub highlighting Le Pain Quotidien’s organic bread, which is still kneaded and shaped by hand then baked in a hearth under the watchful eye of artisan bakers. Wheat, rye, spelt, five-grain walnut, baguettes, French rolls, brioche, croissants, muffins and other pastries, will all be baked fresh daily. Friday sees the addition of freshly baked challah.

PRIVATE EVENTS
Le Pain Quotidien offers a distinctive and delicious twist on the traditional cocktail party, with a warm and inviting in-house baker available for private events. Interactive group baking experiences led by seasoned baker Jonathan Eng, along with wine, beer, and a casual menu for sharing around the communal table. Group events for 8 to 25 guests can be customized for an evening of learning, sharing, and conviviality. To book a group event or for more information, guests may email events@lepainquotidien.com.

Le Pain Quotidien is located within Fashion Island’s Pacific Court (401 Newport Center Drive #1103, Newport Beach). For more information, including menus, catering information and baking classes, call 949-287-5592 or visit www.lepainquotidien.us.

ABOUT LE PAIN QUOTIDIEN
Le Pain Quotidien serves simple, elegant boulangerie fare, made with organic ingredients whenever possible. Le Pain Quotidien -- pronounced luh paN koh-ti-dyaN, meaning “the daily bread” -- was founded in Brussels in 1990 by Chef Alain Coumont, whose concept of simplicity and timelessness now has an international presence with more than 150 locations worldwide. In light of its extraordinary expansion, the company makes a continuous effort to stay true to its roots and values of conviviality, authenticity, quality, and simplicity. On a local level, each eatery sources organic ingredients and implements sustainable practices.

Le Pain Quotidien’s menu accommodates vegetarian and vegan lifestyles, and will offer breakfast, lunch and dinner for in-restaurant dining or take-out service. A wide selection of soups, salads, tartines (open-faced sandwiches, a house specialty) all incorporate signature breads. The tartine is one of Le Pain Quotidien’s most popular offerings with more than a dozen varieties, including Paris Ham and Aged Gruyère with cornichons and mustard trio; Organic Black Bean Hummus with avocado and spicy tahini; Smoked Atlantic Salmon with avocado and chopped dill; and Chicken Curry Salad with a side of harissa-cranberry chutney.

Le Pain Quotidien will also present seasonal offerings on a menu that changes approximately five times a year. The artisan bakers will also create new bread and pastries to retail only in the Fashion Island locale. Fall specials will include a Broccoli, Ham and Swiss Frittata; Vegan Cherry Scone; Gazpacho; Roasted Turkey, Brie and Honey Mustard Tartine; Endive, Fourme d'Ambert and Pear Salad; French Lentil, Chickpea and Avocado Salad; Mixed Grape and Walnut Tart; and Sparkling Hibiscus Tea.

Located at Fashion Island, Orange County’s premier coastal shopping and dining experience, Le Pain Quotidien features a communal table, a trademark piece for the brand, inside a 169-seat restaurant boasting an expansive 400-square-footpatio with stunning ocean views unique to its Newport Beach location.

In addition to its signature communal dining table, Le Pain Quotidien features high ceilings, rustic brick walls, expansive windows and classical music for a warm atmosphere, ideal for relaxation and conversation. Wood-crafted tables, chairs, counters and displays give the café a timeless feel. Le Pain Quotidien uses reclaimed wood and recycled Gypsum in its construction with energy-efficient lamps, and environmentally friendly cleaning supplies and packaging.

The bakery-café offers an exclusive line of specialty retail products, including single estate Peruvian coffee beans, Belgian chocolates, jams and fruit preserves, artisanal olive oil from Tunisia, Italian honey, sea salt and black pepper, and balsamic vinegar.

Hours of operation are 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Le Pain Quotidien is located within Fashion Island’s Pacific Court (401 Newport Center Drive #1103, Newport Beach). For more information, including menus, catering information and baking classes, call 949-287-5592 or visit www.lepainquotidien.us (www.facebook.com/lepainquotidien.usa or www.twitter.com/lepainquotidien).