Restaurant Review: Pain D'Avignon, Hyannis, Cape Cod
Happy new year! I try not to
commit to resolutions but my husband and I are actively trying to not
dine out for dinner in January (oh, and to drink less, too). Our goal is to cook in more, save some money, and be relatively healthier. Knowing the challenge ahead, we prepared and dined out a lot in December.
Our New England holiday break was really our last hurrah and I can't complain because we ate like kings.
One of my favorite restaurant meals was at the relatively new Pain D'Avignon in Hyannis, Massachusetts. Pain D'Avignon is a local breadmaker on Cape Cod. Anyone who has spent time on the Cape has most likely seen their delivery trucks driving around the area. A few years ago, the owners created a cafe in their warehouse, which has become quite popular.
During our three-day stint in the Cape, we ate at Pain twice. The lunch menu has the basics: salads created with local greens, tasty sandwiches on homemade breads, soups, and pizza--there is even a well curated french wine list to complement your meal. At first glance, the menu is simple, but upon further inspection, seeing items like banh mi is a nice touch.
I also like that the tuna melt has gruyere cheese instead of the usual cheddar or Swiss (I'm a sucker for gruyere), which is why we also ordered the French onion soup. Obviously, I liked the cheese part and of course the hunks of homemade bread, which sponge up the broth. The flavor of the soup was right on but unfortunately the broth wasn't that hot.
Other dishes we tasted included the sal
ade locale--plate full of local bibb lettuce tossed with a lemon vinaigrette and crispy shallots. (I will now attempt to include crispy shallots in salads whenever possible.) We couldn't resist the burrata salad served with prosciutto, greens with shaved fennel, and a side of baguette.
Sandwiches included bahn mi, curried chicken salad, and of course the tuna melt. The banh mi was pretty good--you can't go wrong with homemade
pâté
paired with pulled pork, garlic aioli, pickled
jalapeños,
and cilantro and carrots. The curried chicken salad was chock full of cashews, raisins, and a curry mayonnaise sandwiched within a buttery homemade croissant. It was very decadent. My only critique is that I wished we had ordered two. The tuna melt was also great with the aforementioned gruyere and local tomatoes melted on homemade pumpernickel bread.
Next time you're on the Cape and need some carbohydrates, check out the Pain D'Avignon cafe. Cozy up at the bar and eat away!