Panera Bread

I've heard people rave about these far too long to not have tried one in all these years.

I'm not so enamoured of bread, though, so it wouldn't be my first place to try.  However, friends went on about the soup and sandwiches and salad, so here I was.

The exterior of the building has a cutesy, trendy 1990s look that certainly beckons to the Will & Grace and Friends crowd.  Inside, it's very similar.  I was quickly met by a rather perky woman behind the counter who seemed to lose her smile when I told her I'd never been at a Panera Bread.  "Oh, no, I'll have to work at it!"

She told me about the half meal/pick 2, where I could get a bowl of soup and half a sandwich or salad.  That sounded fine, so I ordered the Ham and Swiss, even though she suggested the Turkey, and I got the broccoli cheese soup, which is usually good anywhere.  "For 99 cents, you can get a baked goodie." so I did.

In any case, with half a sandwich, soup, medium soda, and baked treat, I was up to $10.43 without breaking a sweat.  Of course, because it's almost a self-serve joint, you don't have to tip but you have to go retrieve your food, unless Hardee's across the street where they bring it to your table.

So, I got my drink, sat down, and I was thinking about some great Italian Ham and Swiss Cheese and great bread, and someone called my name rather quickly.  I went to the counter and I took my lovely melamine tray to my table.

Kitty must be missing her milk bowl because surely that was the tiny bowl they used for my soup.  The sandwich bread was a good size, for a half, but it had perhaps 2 slices of ham and one slice of cheese, with tomatoes, onion, and lettuce.  At this time, I was ready to laugh because I'd been fooled.  My adoptive mum used to bake bread every day and she'd put meat and cheese and tomato, onion, and lettuce on my sandwich if I'd eat it.  She'd even make some Campbell's soup.

She could have been making a fortune with a cold sandwich and hot soup!

The soup was okay, but I can say that many places have better soup.  I can't say that I can open a can of soup that's better but I can probably use an Archer Farm kit from Target and make better soup.  I know that I can get a better sandwich from the Target deli.  I'm still wondering why the extra lopped-off baguette roll was added, but apparently, it's an automatic thing.  They should hold the extra bread and add some meat or cheese to the sandwich.  The short roll was good and so was the brownie--exquisite?  No.

I'm just not tragically hip enough to enjoy the place.

ALERT - 5 stars from me.  :)

I hadn't had Panera in a while and was happy when my wife suggested I run out and get some breakfast from Panera.  I wandered in about 8.30 am and was surprised to find only one person in line.  The gals behind the counter were pleasant and made small talk with me while we figured out what all I wanted.  While I could have went for a breakfast sandwich or something else.. their bagels are too good to pass up.  I walked out with a couple asiago and cinnamon crunch bagels.  For $5 or whatever it was, breakfast doesn't get a whole lot better (unless its homemade biscuits and gravy!)

The location is ok.. not the best for some people, but its convenient for me.  The location was clean and well kept and staffed with friendly workers.  Overall a good experience and good food.

I've not been to a Penera Bread but always felt it was upscale and yuppified.  It is certainly the latter but only upscale in price.  This Greenwood location was a dump.  The trash bins were filled to the brim and there was crud all over the drink station.  I knew the prices were going to be high but I expected cleanliness.  I also felt that the cashier beleived I was just lucky to be a patron.  I won't go back to any Panera. -G