Ethical, Healthy, Low Carb, Low Fat Eating at Panera
Written: Feb 17 '05 (Updated Feb 17 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Great food at reasonable prices; comfortable atmosphere; a company with values.
Cons: None
The Bottom Line: Panera Bread is one of my favorite choices at any time of the day. A must eat at restaurant.
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| jo.com's Full Review: Panera Bread |
I love Panera Bread and was really excited when a new one was built within striking distance. I had been to a couple in Massachusetts. One is in Framingham and one in Worcester. I have been to others in other states. The restaurants look pretty much all the same. Every one in which I have been has been sparkling clean; the tables and seats are comfortable and attractive; usually there is a divider between the eating area and the ordering area. I believe Panera is a good company. When I worked at Head Start we would get a huge donation of bread from Panera from our families every Friday. To me Panera is about everything good, healthy and inviting.
What I did not know until I went to do this review is that (From the website www.panera.com) The Panera Bread legacy began in 1981 as Au Bon Pain Co., Inc. They were located in the east coast of the U.S. and internationally throughout the 1980s and 1990s.
”In May 1999, all of Au Bon Pain Companys businesses were sold, with the exception of Panera Bread, and the company was renamed Panera Bread. Panera Bread has been recognized as one of Business Week's "100 Hot Growth Companies".
Panera still gives all unsold bread to hunger relief programs as well being involved in other charitable relief efforts.
There are over 700 Panera Bread bakery-cafes in 35 states delivering fresh, authentic artisan bread on a national scale. ”
Panera Bread to me is more than a bakery/cafe. It is a full-fledged restaurant. Certainly the new one at 46 Shops at 5 Way, Plymouth is. I am going to focus on that location.
Panera Bread is open Monday through Friday from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 7:00a.m. to 9:00p.m. I have been there at all hours both to eat and to buy food to go. I have never had to wait although they do a very good business. I was shocked when I first walked in. Rather than walking into one large room where I can see the entire cafe, this new location is so long that I had to walk beyond where food was being made and bread was being baked to see the end of the restaurant.
At Panera you will order at the counter. There are now menus though in the past you could only order off a board on the wall. They call your name with a microphone so the screaming of names is not heard. There is staff around who clean the tables. I think if the staff brought over the food it would make Panera just a bit nicer.
I have always found the staff to be very pleasant. I think that the attitude of staff trickles down from management. The good feeling I have about Panera Bread is reflected in the smiling faces of the staff. Music plays in the background. It is just at the right noise level for conversation or sitting and reading a paper.
My most recent trip was just to run in and buy bread. I was quickly helped and given suggestions. For example I got the Sunflower bread. If you have not tried this one yet, you must. It is absolutely delicious; made with honey, lemon peel and raw sunflower seeds. It could not have been fresher and even the next day was as good as the day I bought it. The woman helping me asked if I wanted it sliced. I really did not know because I usually do not have my bread sliced. She suggested that the Sunflower bread be sliced because of the type of bread it is. It does not lend itself to being torn apart. She was right.
I asked her opinion on what else I should serve that night for the company I was having that would go with lasagna. She suggested a Country bread because I wanted a crisp bread. This was excellent. It was crispy and had a slightly nutty flavor. I also bought a small (They sell several sizes and types of bread including miche, loaf, demi, baquettee, boule, loaf, bread bowl.) French bread that had a slightly blistered crust and an aroma that smelled somewhat like wine. My bread was a hit.
I have also sat down and eaten here. You will find a beautiful fireplace, booths with round and square tables, free samples by the coffee station (The coffee is from a thermos at the station.) and free wi-fi between the hours of 11:00a.m. and 2:00p.m. At the counter they serve espresso, lattes and specialty teas as well as chilled beverages such as Iced Green Tea for $1.99. The entire menu can be seen at www.panerabread.com so I will not post everything here!
Each day Panera has different soups on the menu. Some of these include Broccoli Cheddar and French Onion on Sunday and Low fat chicken noodle and Boston Clam Chowder on Friday.
Their bagels are among the best around in my opinion. They are making many low fat and lower carb products including lower carb breads such as Rosemary Walnut with 4 net carbs. The Lower carb Plain bagel has 13 net carbs. The bagels are $.89 each, a baker’s dozen will cost you $7.29. You can also get a bagel pack with two tubs of spreads for $10.99. A couple of my favorite bagels are the Nine Grain and Cinnamon Crunch. Their cream cheese is very tasty. My favorite is the reduced fat honey walnut. You will know that there are nuts in this cream cheese rather than just the essence of walnuts.
They sell wonderful pastries. Although I have had them in the past I use my willpower to say no to the chocolate croissants, pecan rolls or banana nut muffins.
I have had many salads at Panera. If you want you can pick a bowl of soup, a half sandwich and any half salad for $6.29. All of their salads come with some French bread. In addition you can request natural chicken on any salad for an additional $1.79; steak filets or tuna salad for $1.59. My favorite salad is the Asian Sesame chicken with all natural citrus herb chicken, romaine lettuce, almonds, sesame seeds, wonton strips and a reduced sugar Asian sesame vinaigrette for $6.49. The chicken has always been cooked just right. It is not dry and has a great tasting seasoning on it. That is the citrus herb. Most of the salads list the net carbs next to them. This one does not. In any case the veggies are always fresh and the wonton strips (thus not low carb) are crispy strips, not wilted noodles.
Panera tends to put a lot of salad dressing on their salads so you may want to ask for it on the side.
You might be wondering as I am what all natural chicken is. Although I get the chicken a lot I never paid much attention to it until now. ”The chickens are raised under healthy, humane conditions with fresh air, exposure to sunlight and plenty of room to move. They eat only natural, all vegetarian diets with no animal by-products and they never receive antibiotics or growth hormones.”( from a store pamphlet).
They serve hot paninis where grilling melds flavorful ingredients and fresh hearty bread. My favorite is the Portobello and mozzarella on the rosemary and onion focaccia for $5.99. It is deliciously marinated in their balsamic vinaigrette. The mozzarella cheese is fresh, the onions are sweet because they are caramelized and they add fresh basil to top it all off. You can get chips or a fresh fruit cup for $.99. This is a bargain. The servings are decent. The opportunities to buy fresh healthy salads or sandwiches at these prices are few and far between.
You can choose from 12 sandwiches in the $5.00 range such as Sierra Turkey on Asiago Cheese Focaccia for $5.89 with a pickle and chips.
All major credit cards are accepted. You may call ahead and they will have your order waiting for you.
My final thoughts:
Oh to find an ethical company that uses great ingredients; makes fresh, wonderful food and the best bread anywhere; a company that really cares about others and does its part to feed the country is wonderful. I highly recommend Panera Bread. I highly recommend supporting this company. The next time you need bread if there is a Panera near you remember this review. The next time you are choosing between a fast food restaurant and Panera, spend a few extra minutes and go to Panera.
Please feel free to leave me a comment or question.
I am in no way associated with Panera Bread except as a consumer.
Another great Panera site is:
http://www.paneraiowa.com/e-newsletter/artisan/artisan%20newsletter.html
Recommended:
Yes
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