I might have a miniature obsession with Panera Bread. My friends will tell you that it is true, I do enjoy my Panera Bread more than the average person. They will also tell you that it really does not make sense that Panera is always my restaurant of choice.
You see, I am a pretty frugal person, and Panera is not a cheap meal...especially considering what you get for your money. A typical lunch at Panera runs close to $10.
This brings me to my first experiences with Panera. I was a college sophomore at UD. A newly built Panera was just a short-walk from my apartment. I had been to Panera beforehand, but I never had this much access to it. Shortly after it was built many of my friends liked to frequent Panera to help nurse a hangover. Reluctantly, I joined my friends on these outings. I was admittedly, disappointed on each of these occassions...so much so that I stopped going. As a poor college student, $10 for a hangover meal was far out of my budget. Not to mention the fact that it was my contention that the key ingredient of hangover food should be grease...french fries, burgers, etc. Clearly Panera did not meet any of the tough requirements.
That was in the year 2000. Fast forward to today. A lot has happened in 10 years. One of the biggest changes is Wifi. Sure, they probably offered Wifi back then...but I did not have a laptop, and I probably didnt understand what Wifi was. Another change in the last 10 years...my hangovers. While I would like to say I have grown up and hangovers are a rarity...let's just say I still have hangovers, but for some reason the classic greasy meal isn't as appetizing or as settling on the stomach as the fresh ingredients from Panera.
Panera can be enjoyed with a group of friends, with just one or two friends, and even by yourself. I can be found at many central Ohio Paneras working on my laptop...and sometimes you will see me dragging along a friend or two to join me. Either way I enjoy the atmosphere and the energy that Panera offers. From the background music to the people watching...Panera is a great place to dine.
I recently visited my sister in Cleveland, and had the opportunity to go a Cleveland area Panera. It sounds weird, and perhaps creepy...but as I was sitting at that Panera I couldn't help but think, "Wow, if I had to rank my favorite Paneras, this would be at the very top of the list"....and so you have it. I have decided to visit as many Panera Breads possible and rank them.
In an effort to complete this goal, I am starting with visiting all of the Columbus area Panera's. I have already been to several of the 19 locations throughout the years. But I am going to make a fresh start and re-visit even the ones I have already been to.
I will rank them based on my personal opinion, and my own likes/dislikes. As further background information....my favorite menu item is the Pick 2. I enjoy half of the sierra turkey on whole wheat (I dont like the default bread) and the other half is a greek salad, no olives. I also typically opt for a whole-wheat baguette as my other side. Drink of choice is an unsweet tea. And...even stranger...I will order this at anytime of the day...even for breakfast. I am not a big sweets person, so I can't fairly rank the bakery side of the restaurant.
Thank you for reading about my journey....
2 comments:
you are a freak. but i also happen to love panera and since your one of my favorite cousins i will tell you why. there is a panera in the mall i work- tuttle and i go there every shift and get a large unsweat tea which is only $1.91, and i sometimes give the $.09 to the share the bread fund, especially recently because they are doing a fund raiser for autism. but i get a lot of bang for my buck there becasue as you know i also drink a bunch of water and they give me 3 large cups along with my 1 ice tea cup to fill with my daily water which saves me from having to buy water, and theres tastes better. i also love there food i prefer a plain bagel with plain cream cheese, or a sandwich or panini with some brocoli and cheese soup and i like to sit by the fireplace and i find the music very relaxing. o and not to forget the new "my panera card" i am always getting free stuff, and i will take anything if its free. Peace Out
cassie, thank you for your kind words. just so ya know, i have yet to visit/review the tuttle panera. perhaps we can arrange a visit during one of your breaks. i also have a gift card to use at your place of employment, so we could make a day of it!
the my panera card has been a godsend. i learned last week that i have earned a FREE pick 2!
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