After I heard that the popular chain, Panera Bread, opened a restaurant in the River Park shopping center, I became ecstatic. Having previously visited the bakery-cafe in other cities, I knew that I could expect a quick and tasty meal for a reasonable price.
Passing by the door, the mouth-watering scent of the bakery drew my eyes to the open display window of fresh bread, baked daily. The cream stucco exterior was adorned with forest green window awnings that reminded me of European cafes. In addition, the massive windows exposed the interior of the restaurant, which was filled with tans and soft browns that created an inviting and warm atmosphere.
As I waited by the register, a huge menu loomed over me, displaying a special deal that allows customers to choose two dishes out of four categories: soup, salads, sandwiches and macaroni and cheese. Called the “You Pick Two” combo, many customers seemed pleased with the simplistic ordering method, yet also had a variety of choices within each category.
I ordered a frontega chicken panini, creamy tomato soup, a side of chips and an iced sweetened green tea from the special deal. The friendly cashier took my order and notified me of the fresh items from the bakery.
Near the front of the cafe, I saw the bakery display with pastries and loaves of bread for sale. Although I had already ordered lunch, I couldn’t resist purchasing a pineapple upside-down mini bundt cake and tomato basil bread for the next day.
Unlike normal restaurants, the cashier handed me a pager and allowed me to sit down wherever I pleased.
Before long, my meal was ready at the pick-up station. As I peered over the shelf, I saw the speedy chefs prepare other meals, while mine resided on a tray with a comforting appearance. The savory scent of tomato soup relaxed my muscles as I sat down.
First, I took a sip of the iced sweetened green tea. The beverage contained subtle refreshing notes of pear and apple. I then picked up the heavy sandwich and took a bite.
As I bit into the stacked panini, I was able to taste the separate ingredients inside the sandwich, like the smoked chicken, mozzarella, tomatoes, chipotle mayonnaise and chopped basil. As delicious as the thick, toasty crust of the savory sourdough foccacia bread tasted, it almost made the panini difficult to eat.
Next, I tried the soup. The bold, unmistakably recognizable flavor of tomatoes burst in my mouth, making my mouth water. Although the tomato soup was delicious, it lacked originality, as if they prepared it out of a can.
The meal came with a soft, warm baguette and thickly-sliced potato chips. The quality sides made the meal worth more than the price. Panera obviously prides itself in its fresh baked speciality breads, since every meal is complemented with a baguette.
Panera offers many other cafe-inspired dishes, such as baked egg souffles, parfaits, paninis, cafe salads, smoothies and coffee beverages, all under $5. The chefs also bake all their breads and pastries, like soft, chewy muffins, gigantic cookies and cinnamon rolls for cut-rate prices, ranging from $1-2.
Also, Panera has a wide assortment of bagels for a delicious breakfast, such as asiago cheese, cinnamon crunch, whole grain, blueberry and chocolate chip for about $6 for a half-dozen.
Altogether, my total came out to $9.24 including tax, with the “You Pick Two” meal costing only $6.59. The special deal sported a modest price for a hearty meal. Although the restaurant was not unique, the friendly service and warm interior made the meal comfortable and Panera a good place to eat with friends.
Panera Bread is located at 7780 North Blackstone. It can be reached at (559) 435-1620.
For more restaurant reviews, visit the the Dec. 8, 2009 article, Pismo’s fails grapevine buzz.
