Notes From The City: An Abundant Life

There was a place in Cambridge, Massachusetts called The Blacksmith Bakery that my mother discovered when I was a teenager. I'd go there with her and with friends, I had dates with my first love there, and asked for my birthday cakes and holiday cakes to be sent from there for years after I moved to New York. It was a bakery and cafe that specialized in traditional German cakes and pastries, but they also had a lunch menu of healthy and hearty sandwiches, hot and cold soups, quiche and salads. Their breads were always hand made and home made and their ingredients fresh and as natural and non-processed as possible. At a time when people were not talking about sustainability the way they do today, The Blacksmith Bakery made things the old fashioned way. I loved everything on their menu - even the coffee and tea were divine - and when I'd go there it was always such a challenge to just pick one thing that I'd confer with my company that day and we'd choose a selection of just about everything and share it. After years of seemingly endless enjoyment, The Blacksmith Bakery closed one day, and I've never been able to find a place that matched them in the relaxed and comfortable, homelike environment, and the quality and pure deliciousness of the foods they served. There have been places that have opened over the years and places that I have tried in many cities, but nothing has ever replaced The Blacksmith until I walked into Choc O Pain French Bakery and Cafe and had a lunch served to me that brought back the sweetest and most refreshing memories of years gone by.

Owner Clemence Danko has created a space for savoring the flavors - you can take the food to go and it will still be transporting, but if you can, take a moment to stop and sit at one of the open tables and enjoy the comfortable and peaceful atmosphere that brings you to a wholesome and healthy state of mind. The ingredients are the freshest, the menu innovative and enticing, and the combination of flavors will leave you satisfied in a way that only the healthiest and most delightful of foods can do. Go with a friend or two and share a variety of tastes from the menu, or stop by for a delightful coffee or tea with the most exquisite of deserts. You'll find yourself dreaming of other lovely times and places and looking forward with renewed vision to good times to come.

Choc O Pain French Bakery & Cafe

157 1st Street

Hoboken, New Jersey

530 Jersey Avenue

Jersey City, New Jersey

942 Co-op - 942 Summit Avenue

Jersey City, New Jersey

www.chocopainbakery.com