A Delicious Deli
Written: Apr 22 '03
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Product Rating:
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Pros: delicious sandwiches, café atmosphere, patio, attentive and friendly staff
Cons: a little pricey
The Bottom Line: It's worth every penny, I promise.
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| deeblackthorne's Full Review: Panera Bread |
There is a Panera Bread store in the neighboring square from my apartment complex. The square features a number of local businesses, a hotel, and a couple of restaurants, and borders alongside an access road featuring a few fast food places and some businesses.
My roommate had introduced me to Panera on a couple of occasions, just as a place to grab a quick bite to eat and run off somewhere. My latest visit would have been my third, actually. Because I work at a local Chili's, I felt that a lunch out at Panera would be quite the treat over my usual grab-and-go quesadilla. So, I decided to inspect the place a little more closely.
As I walked through the side door, I couldn't help but remark on how clean and comfortable the restaurant felt. Resembling a coffeehouse with deep and rich beige and brown shades and plenty of natural lighting, the location felt more than accommodating. Strangely enough, I saw more tables built for twos and threes rather than a more traditional line up of booths along the walls. Large windows streaming in the sun, it brought about a renewed sense of intimacy when eating; it's the kind of place you would take a couple of friends, sit down with a cup of coffee, and talk about the day. Very relaxing.
I strolled up to the counter where a young man clad in a Panera apron greeted me. I picked a delicious Tuscan Chicken sandwiche; the combo meal comes with a bag of kettle crisps and a pickle, but no drink. Tack on another $1.50 for a fountain drink and the order came in at about $8.
Was it worth it? Of course.
The chicken was moist, tender, and flavorful. The red onion and lettuce were crisp and crunchy. The chef didn't skimp on the dressing either: a thick, rich, abundant double layer spread of garlic and grated cheese. In retrospect, it surprises me to have had only a short wait, and yet receive a well-crafted sandwich whose appearance and taste suggests that a lot of effort was put into it. I got the timeliness of a fast food chain with the painstaking effort and value of a sit-down restaurant meal.
Panera serves a variety of deli-style and premium sandwiches, soup and salad combos, and hot panini dishes. The café selection includes your choice of fine coffee and espresso dishes and a limited selection of desserts.
Though Panera would probably not be a place I would visit on a daily basis for expense reasons, it's definitely a worthwhile treat. I highly recommend Panera to folks who think sandwich eating must be relegated to your local Subway.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
deeblackthorne
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Member: Dee Hill Zuganelli
Location: Tucson, AZ, USA
Reviews written: 133
Trusted by: 13 members
About Me:
yo! :D
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