NYC Dining: Eating Healthy at Le Pain Quotidien

Le Pain Quotidien
124 Seventh Avenue
between 17th & 18th streets

Other Locations: (Various)

Web Site: http://www.lepainquotidien.com/

Two weeks ago I was in the city during the evening for the PEPCOM Holiday Spectacular press event, which was held at the Metropolitan Pavilion in Chelsea, on 17th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues.  I was hungry, and I knew that the show was going to be busy and serving lots of fried and carby appetizer-type crap I probably shouldn’t be eating. I also knew that I would be racing around like a lunatic taking photos and talking to PR people for two hours, so I should probably eat something before going in there.

Anyone who is familiar with the Chelsea neighborhood near the Metropolitan Pavilion will probably tell you its slim pickins in terms of good food choices. So I walked down to 7th avenue, looked around, and noticed this particular branch of Le Pain Quotidien. I’m not usually one to visit bakery type cafe restaurants these days — since I’m limiting my bread and carb intake, and there’s usually too much temptation to eat something I shouldn’t. But I was literally starving and it was better I ate there than eat what was likely awaiting me at the Pavilion, along with an open bar.

I had never been to a Le Pain Quotidien before, but I was hungry and intrigued, so I went in and had a look.

Click on the “Read the rest of this entry” link below for more.

Pizza for a Cure

by Rachel Perlow

We received this email from our friends at Franco’s Metro in Fort Lee:

We are taking part in the Susan G. Komen For a Cure Restaurant week event.  It is a week long event where Franco’s Metro will be donating a portion of each check to the fight against breast cancer and cancer awareness.  It is something that we are very passionate about, as Breast cancer has touched our friends & family in a number of ways.  Obviously, we want to make the largest donation possible in our inaugural year, but in order to do that, we need support from friends like you to help fill our seats all week long.

Together we can find a cure.

Gene Bazzarelli

The First Annual New Jersey Restaurants for the Cure™ will benefit the North Jersey Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure®, which will run from Monday, September 29th through Sunday, October 5th. The weeklong breast health awareness and fund raising event will benefit Breast Cancer support, research and development at participating restaurants. Participating restaurants will feature a selection of menu items that will represent a donation of $1 per item to the North Jersey Affiliate.

It’s great to see local businesses participating in events like this. I hope you all consider going to Franco’s Metro and support the Komen organization by doing so.

Here’s a link to Jason’s previous post about Pizza in Fort Lee, NJ, page down for Franco’s coverage.

Other participating restaurants: Bazzarelli Ristorante in Moonachie, Bensi in Clifton, Hasbrouck Heights, Hillsdale, Moonachie, North Arlington, Paramus and Wayne, the Cornerstone in Hillsdale and the Ho-Ho-Kus Inn.

Windows XP to Vista migration is no Picnic

Some of you may be aware that I have another identity besides professional technologist and tech/computer industry blogger — I’m also passionate about restaurants, cooking, and eating (albeit with a healthier focus these days) on my other blog, Off The Broiler.

Anyone who has been a reader of OTB for any length of time will undoubtedly come across posts about Christine Nunn, the Culinary Institute of America-trained chef who owns a local catering business here in Northern New Jersey, Picnic Caterers. Christine has been a valued partner in crime in some of my most infamous cooking experiments, such as the quest in creating the Ultimate Hamburger and Ultimate BLT.

While Christine is a close friend of my wife and I,  and we have known her for years, up until very recently I’ve had little or no involvement in her computing lifestyle whatsoever. This is unusual because I typically end up having to advise my friends on the use of or fixing their computer at some point in our relationship, because everybody knows what I actually do for a living.

A few weeks ago Christine calls me on the phone, out of the blue. “Jason, I have computer problems. the machine is really old and is slow. My mom wants to get me a new PC for my birthday. What should I get?”

Click here to read the rest of this article on ZDNet Tech Broiler.

Diet Dunkin’

So here’s the scenario. Sunday morning, 8AM. The power goes out, and we’re hungry.

What do you do?

Do you…

A) Open up the fridge, pull out your Egg Beaters, veggies, and let out out all the cold, and make yourself breakfast (assuming you have a gas range that you can light with a match, which we do)

B) Say to your wife “@!$% this stupid diet. I want a @!$%ing double fried egg with sausage patty, cheese and bagel sandwich with extra ketchup and hot sauce. Lets go to the deli. NOW.”

C) Do “B”, fail miserably, but convince her you want to try Dunkin Donuts’ new low-cal breakfast sandwich instead?

Click on the “Read the rest of this entry” link below for more.

Real Economies Don’t Eat Quiche

Sometimes, to make an omelette, you need to break a few eggs. However if this week’s bloodbath on Wall Street is any indication, then I would say we’ve made ourselves a full-blown deep dish quiche the size of Yankee Stadium with tens of billions of cartons of eggs. The biggest and most costly damn quiche that you’ve ever seen, and the likes of which we can hardly afford the indigestion from.

Read the rest of this article on ZDNet Tech Broiler.

The Finger-Lickin’ Ginormous Carolina ‘Q Post

Over the summer months in 2008, I’ve spent a lot of time in the Carolinas, in particular, the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area (The Triangle) and also the Columbia, South Carolina area. Two cities which are as different as can be from a cultural and socio-economic perspective, but which do share something in common — Barbecue.

Even if you are trying to shed the pounds like I am, when you travel, maintaining discipline can be extremely difficult, especially when you are surrounded by co-workers who want to go out and have a good time. And when you’re in the South with a bunch of out-of-town males, particularly in the Carolinas, evening entertainment can usually be classified into two distinct areas — ones which involve Pork and ones which do not. I’m not going to get into the details of the ones which do not, because that could get me in trouble with the wife.

Here are all my Carolina Barbecue sins exposed, some of which I am proud of and would repeat again, and some of which I would not.

Click on the “Read the rest of this entry” link below for more.

A perfect Labor Day, courtesy of Professor Wiviott

Despite the worry for my friends in New Orleans today — which it seems may escape the worst of Gustav’s wrath — Rachel and I had a pretty ideal Labor Day, thanks to Gary Wiviott’s Master the Weber Smokey Mountain in 5 Easy Dinners Course.

Gary Wiviott’s Online WSM Course is a must for any prospective Smokey Mountain owner.

We’ve been messing around with our WSM for a few weeks now, and while we’ve made some very tasty stuff, it would be arrogant to say that we’ve mastered its use and gotten ideal results with it every time.

I was recently directed to Gary Wiviott’s web site and his five steps to excellent barbecue course. I met Wiviott a few years ago on a visit to Chicago, where both Ron Kaplan and I had a very meat-filled dinner with him at Fogo de Chao restaurant, a Brazilian Rodizo place. Until recently I had no idea that he was such a ‘Q fanatic, but I knew he was a food nut — he runs the food discussion site LTHForum.com, which specializes in Chicago restaurant talk.

Ready to make ‘Q on your WSM like a pro? Listen to the Professor. Click on the “Read the rest of this entry” link below for more.