This might be the best Belgian import since waffles and Tintin. Le Pain Quotidien, a chain of bakery-cafés, states its cause clearly: “In bringing you the best organic ingredients, we support sustainable farming for future generations.”

I guess the wordsmith who drafted their mission statement couldn’t think of a short, catchy way to add that Le Pain Quotidien serves great food, reasonably priced, thoughtfully prepared, and presented in a cozy setting with long farm tables intended to foster chitchat among fellow diners (see? I couldn’t do it, either).

Just call it a win-win-win proposition: the food is good for you, good for the world, and just plain good all around. “Quotidien” means “everyday,” or “routine,” but there’s nothing run-of-the-mill about this chain, whose founder, Alain Coumont, is as passionate about the concept of communal dining as he is about using the best organic ingredients and supporting local farmers.

Coumont, a Belgian chef, started the chain in Brussels back in 1990 when he realized that the only way to get a good whole grain organic bread was to bake it himself. In his quest for an acceptable artisanal loaf, Coumont inadvertently created the starter dough for an eco-friendly franchise; Le Pain Quotidien has sprung up all over the world, including 10 branches in New York and 8 in Los Angeles. They’ve even opened branches in Kuwait City and Beirut; watch out, flyover states! You could be next.

We had lunch at a downtown Le Pain Quotidien yesterday and were pleased with everything from the garnishes that tasted as good as they looked to the way the coffee is served, in a little carafe accompanied by a heated bowl, the way the French drink their cocoa. I hope to go back soon for breakfast, or better yet, try the branch in Soho, which also serves dinner—that’s the kind of mission creep I’m happy to support.

Le Pain Quotidien also sells all kinds of wonderful condiments, teas and whatnot, so on our way out, Matt bought a jar of one of their trademark spreads, Noisella, a delectable hazelnut-chocolate concoction which, unlike its presumed inspiration, Italy’s Nutella, is trans-fat free. I hope I get to have some before he finishes it.