I apologize for my unusual choice of eating spot in this blog post. But I truly felt it deserves some recognition - as it managed to pleasantly surprise me. It made me realize that, lately I have been too caught up in chasing the latest and the greatest- with not enough time to see much else. (Hmm…. wonder if it will make me as famous as that 85 year old freelance writer in North Dakota who wrote about Olive Garden last year. Ha! Ha!)
A close family member was in the hospital recently which took me on daily visits to the hospital to spend my days with him. As I watched him rapidly get healthier and stronger each day - my mind wandered to other important things. Like, say… food. This hospital is in New Jersey, and the only food choice on the premise, was Au Bon Pain.
Au Bon Pain. With over 250 national and international locations, it is a staple for NYC, Boston and other big city dwellers. But in the suburbs the locations are scarce and typically limited to hospitals, malls, airports, train stations etc. Many years ago, I used to frequent Au Bon Pain, and the only thing I remembered from back then was that it was pricey and not so impressive. I used to find the bread too hard and sandwiches too dry and flavorless. Ugh!
This time, however, as I lunched at the NJ hospital location, I fell in love with their menu. Fresh breads, muffins, croissants baked daily. Great daily selection of soups and salads. Made to order sandwiches. And my favorite part - their special Hot Sandwiches and Signature Sandwiches!
I read somewhere recently that, a group of veteran employees of Au Bon Pain have bought out the company and they are now taking it in a fresh and new direction. As I explored and taste-tested the menu, that new direction started to become clear to me.
I tried quite a few sandwiches in those few days. Fell madly in love with the Black Angus Steak and Cheese Sandwich. Loved how moist it was. How soft and airy the bread was. The caramelized onions and horseradish aioli made me do a dance of joy. And the sun-dried tomatoes in there were “Da Bomb”! I am telling you folks, with so many supposedly great restaurants out there - not many are achieving this level for perfection in flavors and satisfaction.
Another great sandwich to try is the Chipotle Turkey and Avacado Sandwich. The yummy chipotle mayo just oozed out as it slathered the turkey, while the avacado gave it a velvety textural finish. Delish!
I checked the Au Bon Pain website and was quite impressed to see their interactive menu to help diners figure out their calorie intake with each order. You can select items from their menu online - and then the site tells you the total number of calories you will consume if you actually place that order in their store. How very responsible of them! Au Bon Pain also has a wonderful program called, “Food For Life”, that assists folks who are in need of food supplies.
Once the hospital trips were done with, I was curious to find the nearest location in Fairfield County. Sadly - not enough. Hartford has a small concentration. And so does Westchester. Wish one would open right by me. Because, I am confident that if Au Bon Pain comes to the heart of Fairfield County - I might just be their permanent fixture!
Au Bon Pain | http://www.aubonpain.com
A rarity to see a foodie blog post making an objective review of a chain — props!