CHOC·O·PAIN French Bakery & Cafe – A Little Slice of France in Hoboken & Jersey City

CHOC·O·PAIN French Bakery & Cafe – A Little Slice of France in Hoboken & Jersey CityCHOC-O-PAIN French Bakery and Café
Bringing A Taste of France to New Jersey

CHOC·O·PAIN French Bakery & Cafe – A Little Slice of France in Hoboken & Jersey City

Hoboken/Jersey City, NJ  – July, 2015 – In  every  region  of  France,  neighborhoods  take  their boulangeries,  patisseries  and  cafés  very  seriously.  These meeting  spots  offer  locals  a  warm convivial  atmosphere,  delicious  coffee,  fresh  homemade  breads,  pastries,  and  light  fare. Choc-O-Pain  has  brought  this warm  and welcoming  rustic  French  café  experience,  first  to  a quiet tree-lined street in Hoboken, and then to downtown Jersey City. With outdoor seating, an eclectic  assortment  of  comfortable  couches  and  chairs,  and  a  small  play  area  for  children, CHOC-O-PAIN offers an environment that works for the whole neighborhood.

CHOC-O-PAIN’s  Owner  is  French  born  Clémence  Danko,  who  moved  with  her  husband  to Hoboken, NJ, back in 2009. After arriving to NJ from France, they were hard pressed to find a fresh croissant or a good baguette West of the Hudson River.  Clemence made the decision to leave her pharmaceutical background behind, but not her passion for French food and culture. She spent the next year intensely studying at some of New York City’s most renowned culinary schools, and developing her business plan for Choc O Pain. While traditional bakeries in France are not places to linger or drink coffee, Clemence knew that she needed to adapt this idea and create her own version of what a boulangerie should be here in the U.S. Three years later, in
January 2012, CHOC-O-PAIN  opened and Hoboken had  its  very  first  French bakery and  café. Just one year later, in March 2013, CHOC-O-PAIN opened its’ second location, this time bringing the French lifestyle experience to Jersey City locals.

CHOC·O·PAIN French Bakery & Cafe – A Little Slice of France in Hoboken & Jersey CityCHOC-O-PAIN bakes  all  of  their  bread  in  the  traditional  European  way,  using  only  4  basic ingredients – flour, water, leaven, and a little bit of salt. The breads are all sourdough based and require  a  long,  slow fermentation  process.  It’s  this  slow  process which  takes  about  12 to 24 hours  that  develops  the  textures  and  flavors  of  each  bread,  creating  just  the  right  tang  of sourdough, and the perfect ratio of crumb-to-crust. Baked fresh every day, Breads include their signature classic-style organic Pain D’Autrefois and Baguettes, rustic Bordelais Boule and Miche, their popular multigrain Pain Au Levain Aux Céréales (with oats, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, as well as  flax and  sesame  seeds), and the  customer-favorite, Banana Sourdough (made with fresh banana and a hint of shredded coconut).

On  the  sweet  side, CHOC-O-PAIN’s Boulangerie offers  freshly-baked  Viennoiseries (classic French breakfast pastries): including  light and  flaky Petit Kouign (caramelized  layers of bread dough  with  chocolate  or  seasonal  flavors  like  raspberry  or  apple),  or  their  signature  ultra-buttery Croissants-and ChocopainsTartes: including Abricots Almondine, Tarte Aux Pommes, and  the Tarte Aux Fruits De La Passion, Pêches et Framboises (passion  fruit,  peaches,  and raspberries); plus Macarons and other Desserts: such as Bread Pudding, Financiers (traditional small, sweet, nutty cakes), and Flourless Chocolate Heaven Cake. Paired with a steamy or iced latte or cappuccino from the world@renowned coffee@roasting company, La Colombe Coffee, or unsweetened  hot  chocolate  (typically  French),  CHOC-O-PAIN’s  breads  and  pastries make  the perfect any@time meal or treat.

CHOC-O-PAIN’s Café Menu offers a savory selection of classics, plus their own French@inspired interpretations. Committed to using  seasonal and  locally@grown  ingredients  as  much  as possible,  the  menu  includes  a  traditional Croque-Monsieur  (slice  of  sourdough,  homemade béchamel, D’Artagnan French ham & swiss cheese), Quiche-Lorraine plus a seasonal quiche such as  the  All Local Goat  Cheese, Leek and Collard Green,  and  a  seasonal  Vegan  Soupe Du Jour; Salads: Salade Fraiche De Lentilles; Ready Made Sandwiches: Jambon Emmental, Saucisson Sec Et Baguette, or Spicy Tuna (must-try tuna salad). To wash it all down, there’s Choc O Pain’s own organic lemonade, house-brewed iced-teas, homemade organic blood orangeade, and exquisite fruit juices and nectars from French producer, Alain Milliat.

In  France,  “épiceries”  are  small  neighborhood  shops  that  sell  basic  groceries  along  with specialty items. CHOC-O-PAIN’s Epicerie brings this old-fashioned “corner store” charm to the café, with a small but carefully selected assortment of hard@to@find French specialty items and cooking  ingredients,  such  as  French  candies  and  artisanal  chocolate,  spices, mustards,  salts, French sugar cubes, local Honey and Alain Milliat jams.

In April 2015, Clemence was honored to receive the Outstanding Alumni Award for Excellence in Bread Baking from the International Culinary Center. Other plans include CHOC-O-PAIN  new production-only facility in Jersey City to open by the end of 2015. According to owner Clemence Danko, this  new  facility  will  lay  the  groundwork  for  meeting  the  future  demand  of CHOC-O-PAIN products West of the Hudson River.

CHOC-O-PAIN’s hours: Every weekday, 7:00am – 7:00pm ~ Weekends, 8:00am to 7:00pm 157 First Street, Hoboken NJ 07030 ~ 530 Jersey Avenue, Jersey City 07302

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