• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

HealthyHappyLife.com logo

  • recipes
  • about
  • cookbooks
  • shop
  • video
  • lifestyle
  • blogging
menu icon
go to homepage
  • recipes
  • about
  • cookbooks
  • lifestyle
  • videos
  • shop
    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • recipes
    • about
    • cookbooks
    • lifestyle
    • videos
    • shop
    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » This and That » Picnic in Central Park NYC! Le Pain Quotidien Style.

    by Kathy Patalsky · updated: Sep 13, 2019 · published: Aug 8, 2010 · About 5 minutes to read this article. Leave a Comment

    Picnic in Central Park NYC! Le Pain Quotidien Style.


    Picnic in Central Park! Finally a cooler than usual sunny Saturday hit NYC and I burst out the door with my husband so we could hop on the subway and head uptown to Central Park for a well-deserved afternoon picnic.

    Picnics are about the basket goodies! You agree, right? And while I normally pack my own vegan picnic basket sandwiches, this outing was an exception – I didn’t lift a finger – thanks to Le Pain Quotidien…

    Mineral Springs Le Pain Quotidien. When I heard that one of my favorite vegan-friendly chains, Le Pain Quotidien, was opening a location in Central Park – with “Picnic Baskets to-go” I knew I had to try it. Vegan muffins, soy lattes, iced mint green tea, crusty spelt bread – all my fave Le Pain eats under the green trees of the park? Yes please! Find out if my picnic in Central Park was easy breezy or not?? Many photos ahead!…

    Le Pain’s Mineral Springs Picnic Marketing…looks lovely to me!…

    My Picnic Basket To-Go Review. I was super excited to order one of Le Pain’s much-anticipated pimped-out $40 picnic baskets. However, things didn’t work out exactly as I’d planned.

    Side Note: In case you haven’t heard, picnicking in the park has gone pretty high tech in the past year – various local restaurants are joining-in on the easy-picnic fun. You can even get a pizza delivered to your picnic blanket thanks to iPhone Apps like CityMint. But I digress..

    When we arrived at Le Pain I noticed the Mineral Springs to-go menu was quite different than the normal Le Pain menu. It had sandwiches instead of tartines and a number of baguette sandwiches as well. I have tried Le Pain’s hummus/veggie vegan baguette in the past and loved it – sadly, it was not on this menu. And there was actually not even one vegan sandwich or baguette options on the menu! A few vegetarian options – but all with cheese. Yikes. No picnic basket for us.

    But this is Le Pain, so I can always find something…

    I decided to go with the Mesclun Salad with basil pesto oil vinaigrette and a side bread flute – a crusty bread stick studded with hazelnuts and raisins. My husband, who is not vegan, ordered the smoked salmon sandwich. He loved it. My salad/flute was divine as well – although I would’ve loved a vegan sandwich option so we could’ve ordered the complete basket. Instead we did an a la carte basket-ish order with:

    * Mesclun Salad (vegan)
    * Flute (vegan)
    * $10 picnic blanket (fleece forest green color – love it)
    * Two large Soy Lattes to-go
    * Green tea muffin to go (vegan)
    * Mini chocolate brownie for MrHHL (not vegan)

    I am in love with our Le Pain picnic blanket complete with Le Pain embroidered logo – they also sell canvas baseball caps and a Central Park paperback book, FYI.

    Central Park – Mineral Springs Le Pain Quotidian:

    OPENING HOURS
    M-F: 7am-9pm
    Sa-Su: 7am-9pm
    ADDRESS
    “Mineral Springs”
    69th Street @ Central Park
    New York, NY

    After we ordered our goodies we were off to find the perfect spot to enjoy them!

    We spotted a cool shaded grassy spot under a large tree. Many birds hopping around, and not many people nearby, quiet – our dream picnic spot. We fluffed up our soft blanket and had a delicious feast under the trees, blue sky, cool breeze great company.

    …Picnic accomplished!

    The Bottom Line on Le Pain. If you are seeking a picnic in Central Park, you could successfully bring your own basket of goodies. Or if you want an easy option (like we did) try le Pain! The $10 blanket is a great deal in my opinion. A soft blankie is a must for a successful picnic. And there are many food options at Le Pain so even a vegan like me will find something delicious.

    For non-vegans the options abound. There is even a waffle window. So jealous.

    Here are a few photos from our Central Park Picnic feast..

    Tall Buildings Meet Tall Trees. Only in NYC!..

    Lawn Hours…

    Wanted: Peace. We found a spot a way from the sunbathing crowds…

    Our Spot…

    We shared our spot with a few cute birdies drinking water and bathing in a small water puddle nestled between the large tree roots. Am I in a Disney movie all the sudden? So cute!..

    Our humble eats…

    My Mesclun Salad. Yea, OK I could definitely make a better salad at home – but the basil pesto oil dressing is delicious – and buying a salad at the Park keeps things super easy and convenient. This was a special treat for today…

    I love the Le Pain nut and raisin studded flutes..

    The rich and silky Basil Pesto Dressing adds a burst of flavor to light fresh baby greens. This must be the same oil they add to the hummus appetizer that I love..

    Happy Camper. Or should I say Happy Picnicker…

    So much more to explore in the Park! One of the lakes in the Park. I am dying to rent a rowboat-for-two one of these days!…

    Colorful rides await. I don’t know how those guys do it!….

    You can always find a gaggle of tourists near Strawberry Fields…

    Love this statue…

    I love the rocks in Central Park..

    A pretty purple fleur lining one of the gated fences…



    Lincoln Center
    on the walk home…

    More This and That

    • Mother’s Day 2021
    • The Other Side of the Pandemic: Grandparents, Anxiety & Hope
    • so delicious mousse
      Taste Test: New So Delicious Mousse
    • Rainbow Smoothies
      Vitamix Giveaway!

    About Kathy Patalsky

    Hey there! I'm Kathy, lover of kitty cats, weekend baking, 90's movies, travel, beach fog and foamy lattes. Since 2007, I have been sharing my vegan recipes and photos. My goal is to make your cooking life a little easier, delicious - and plant-loaded - while sharing some LIFE and conversation along the way.

    10 Back to Work Tips for Moms

    Vegan Dining at Disneyland – 2023 – Complete List!

    Chill Your Way to Better Health? Exploring Cold Plunge Therapy

    Mini Chocolate Candy Cookies

    Primary Sidebar

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    my cookbooks

    my cookbooks

    about kathy

    kathy patalsky
    • 10 Back to Work Tips for Moms
    • Vegan Dining at Disneyland – 2023 – Complete List!
    • Chill Your Way to Better Health? Exploring Cold Plunge Therapy
    • Mini Chocolate Candy Cookies
    • Garage to ADU Conversion: Making of a Studio!

    summer fave: sweet potato veggie burgers

    sweet potato veggie burger

    browse recipes

    Breakfast  |  Entrees  |  Desserts  |  Smoothies  |  Sandwiches  |  Salads  |  Beverages  |  Soups |  Appetizers |  Snacks  |  Sauces  |  Sides   /  Cooking Videos  |  Round-Ups  |  Fan Favorites  |  Holiday  /  All the Recipes

    Disqus Latest Comments

    1. s

      s: Absolutely one of the best things I've ever baked. Used dairy butter…

      Commented on: Cinnamon Toast Morning Muffins, gluten-free and vegan

    2. JanetS

      JanetS: Neither of those non-grain flours will substitute for oats or wheat. As…

      Commented on: Cinnamon Toast Morning Muffins, gluten-free and vegan

    3. disqus_LfP7ofaP87

      disqus_LfP7ofaP87: Earth Balance brand HAS PALM OIL, as do most of the vegan…

      Commented on: Sticky Banana Bread Quinoa Breakfast Bowl

    browse:

    • reviews
    • travel
    • vegan topics
    • people
    • videos
    • beauty
    • wellness
    • Mom Life

    my ttc + baby journey

    Trending

    • 10 Back to Work Tips for Moms

    Hi, I'm Skylar! This is a fake profile talking about how I switched to a paleo diet and it helped my eczema and I grew 4". Trust me, I'm an online doctor.

    More about me →

    Popular

    • 10 Back to Work Tips for Moms
    • Vegan Dining at Disneyland – 2023 – Complete List!
    • Chill Your Way to Better Health? Exploring Cold Plunge Therapy
    • Mini Chocolate Candy Cookies

    You can duplicate your homepage's trending recipes section in the sidebar to reinforce the internal linking.

    We no longer recommend using a search bar, newsletter form or category drop-down menu in the sidebar. See the Modern Sidebar post for details.

    If the block editor is not narrower than usual, simply save the page and refresh it.

    Footer

    BROWSE BY:

    Category:

    DATE:

    looking for something?

    contact   |   about   |   kathy’s cookbooks  |  press  |  findingvegan  |  meal plans  |  shop  |  vegan recipe index  |  privacy policy  | start a blog

    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    © 2023, polished dc LLC – healthyhappylife.com

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Services | Work with me