On a serious note (I know, it's not that often, pick your jaw up off the floor), I was really excited to attend this event. What was the event you ask? A blogger/media only invitational tasting at Au Bon Pain, hosted by Chief Brand Officer, Maria Feicht and Executive Chef/Director of Culinary, Roger Bowles. The theme of this event was celebrating the new Holiday Menu.
We began with a bit of history about the company. Generally, I'm bored by facts like these, but I was surprised and interested to learn that Au Bon Pain was born right here in Boston. I already was aware that they are generally located in malls, hospitals, office buildings and other high traffic areas, because I frequent the store located in The Brigham & Women's Hospital every time I go there but I did learn they are not limited to Boston, or to the US. In fact, there are over 250 locations throughout the world, including Thailand, Japan and Kuwait - who knew?
On to the good stuff! We began with the Egg White & Mushroom Frittata Breakfast Sandwich which is served on a sprouted grain roll. I know, "sprouted grain" sounds too healthy to be good, I was thinking the same thing, but I was wrong and so are you. Despite the roll being light and flavorful, it contains 10 grams of protein & 7 grams of fiber! The eggs are cage free for all you do gooders who like that kind of thing. The mushrooms are sauteed and the spinach fresh. It was delicious. We also sampled the Pumpernickel Bagel. I did take a bite and it was fresh (they proof and bake them in house) but pumpernickel just isn't my thing.
Oh, you want lunch? No worries, you can get the same, sprouted grain roll if you order the Chicken, Mushroom & Swiss Sandwich.
The chicken was moist and juicy, while the spinach retained it's vibrant green color. The tomato spread was a welcomed compliment. As you can see in the photo, this is crafted with beautiful layers that are as appealing to the eyes as they are to the taste buds! The layers allow for even delivery of flavor. If you are on the go, no need to worry, Au Bon Pain has packaging that will keep your sandwich as fresh and warm as if you were going to eat it in the cafe.
Out comes the Thai Coconut Shrimp Soup - Petite shrimp, red peppers, carrots, bamboo shoots, and lemongrass in a coconut and curry broth with a touch of spice and fresh lime. As another blogger mentioned at the tasting, this is not the type of soup I would expect to find at this cafe. But it works. It appears they research and go where the trends will lead to bring their customers what they want.
While Au Bon Pain offers the above healthier sandwich options, they also want to create a balance between healthful eating and the occasional indulgence (I mean we all deserve it sometimes. So if you are in the mood for something sweet, they've got it.
I sampled the new Gingerbread Cookie, Cinnamon Walnut Coffee Cake, Peppermint Chocolate Shortbread and Greek Vanilla Yogurt & Triple Berry Parfait.
The Gingerbread Cookie, was perhaps, my least favorite. I prefer a super soft gingerbread cookie and this is a tad on the hard side for me. Other than that I like that it's not overly frosted and you really get the molasses flavor. The question was raised as to which part of the Gingerbread Man we eat first and what, if anything, does that say about ourselves? I prefer to bite the head right off! So make of that what you will.
Cinnamon Walnut Coffee Cake was moist and delicious. The cake itself had a great spongy quality, which for me speaks to it's freshness. The crunchy topping of walnut and cinnamon streusel is sprinkled with powdered sugar, giving just the right amount of sweetness.
On to my favorite sweet treat of the day, Peppermint Chocolate Shortbread (sigh). While some other shortbread cookies may be dry and leave you disappointed, this cookie to me, is pure buttery bliss. I would rave about this cookie even if it were just the shortbread, never mind the added bonus that this already perfect cookie is then dipped in semi sweet chocolate and sprinkled with peppermint bits. Mmmm.
The last of the new menu items I want to tell you about is the Greek Vanilla Yogurt & Triple Berry Parfait. These are made up and ready to go, but don't worry your granola won't get soggy because they've got them packaged to avoid just that. This parfait has fresh blueberries, raspberries and cranberries macerated in a simple syrup, served with non fat vanilla yogurt (Hood), but if you're not a fan of Greek yogurt, they always have the regular stuff too. Did I mention that the honey & oat granola is actually an Au Bon Pain recipe too?
So there you have it, the new Au Bon Pain Holiday Menu. I don't want to rush you, but you've got to hurry if you want to try them because this limited menu is only available through mid January. Don't worry though, they add new menu items 6 times a year. So if you have ideas, comments, questions for Au Bon Pain get in touch with them, they encourage conversation with customers. After all they want to make what we want to eat and drink!
Oh and since you all know what a coffee addict I am, drinking my way through several boxes of K-Cups weekly, I should mention Au Bon Pain now has K-Cups! I know, right! They're just rolling out so you can't find them everywhere yet, but I'm sure that is just a matter of time.
Looking for more information on Au Bon Pain? Just click on over to AuBonPain.com or their Facebook Page or heck tweet them @aubonpain.
Now for my disclaimer: While this is a sponsored post and I was able to sample this menu at no cost to myself, all the opinions in this post are my own and have not been influenced in any way.
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