A Manic Monday Dinner at the Blacklick Panera!

In an effort to squeeze in as many new Panera reviews by years end, I made it a point to visit the Blacklick Crossing Panera on Monday for dinner. This Panera is by no means convenient for me to get to. I decided to stop by this Panera on my way back from Zanesville en route to UA.

I actually used to work very close to this Panera years ago, sadly I never bothered to eat there! Apparently that was pre-Panera obsession. Regardless, visiting the Blacklick area off of Taylor-Station Road was bit like a stroll down memory lane.

The REVIEW:
Date visited: Monday 11.21
Time of day: 6:30ish
Items ordered: The proverbial old-faithful...Med Veg (Apparently I ordered it on whole grain...see random notes), whole grain baguette and the unsweet tea.

My blood sugar level was dropping dramatically as I was basically parked on Rt. 16...with no Panera in sight. Getting down Rt. 16 off 270...was a real B****H! As it turns out, A LOT of people live/work near Blacklick...who knew?

I finally arrived at the Blacklick Crossing Panera, and my attitude instantly changed. In a word, this Panera is quaint. I have seen my fair share of the larger Panera's. It was a nice change of pace to see a smaller, more cozy Panera.

Difficult to illustrate "quiantness"...you will have to just see for yourselves.

Random NOTES:

• A bit of a debacle with the Med Veg. I ordered a whole-grain baguette; however, the associate that made my sandwich assumed this meant to nix the tomato basil bread on the sandwich. Once my name was called, I noticed the mistake. Because I can be a bit of a scatter-brain, I asked him if I ordered whole-grain instead of tomato basil. He looked at the order, and noticed that it was his mistake. He offered to remake the sandwich, but that seemed senseless at that point. I was hungry and didn't want to be a diva. Whole-grain sounds healthier anyway.

3 butters and a Dispatch...pretty standard, really.

• The CROWD for a Panera dinner is always interesting. A completely different vibe than your breakfast or lunch crowd. Even the associates act different. I always wonder why others chose Panera for dinner, and not something more traditional...like an Applebees or something I suppose. While it is not near as strange, but it is kind of like going to Waffle House for dinner. It just doesn't happen that often. Perhaps these dinner diner's are in fact as die-hard Panera fans as I?
• BLACK FRIDAY. You won't be able to go to a Panera for Turkey Day, but you can get there early for Black Friday. Some open as early as 4 AM...but most open at 6AM.
• For anyone that is counting...to-date I have reviewed 19 Columbus area Panera's (only one more to-go and it is a new one)...Outside of the Columbus market, I have reviewed 10 others across the nation. Keep in mind that I don't do a review each time I go to a Panera. That would be far too time consuming, and quite frankly embarrassing.
• Coming next weekend: My Lakewood Panera review. Refer back to my "About this blog" post, and you will see the significance.

My Panera, My surprise! The Clintonville visit...

How surprised I was when my, "MY PANERA" card was swiped this past Saturday and I received $2 off my meal!! What a great reward. My friend Amy, the pregnant one, joined me on this outing...and I immediately turned to Amy upon hearing the news and proclaimed what a great deal that was! Previously, the only rewards I have been getting were a free bagel and/or pastry. 2 bucks off a Pick 2, in my book, made my day!

I had been looking forward to visiting this Clintonville Panera, located on North High Street for some time now. This was my first visit to this Panera. If you are not familiar with this area, Clintonville is a nicer neighborhood of Columbus, located about 10-15 miles north of OSU campus. This Panera is located next to a Chipotle and some other retailers inside of a strip center. I would say the building is fairly new, maybe 6 years or so?

THE REVIEW.
Date visited: Saturday, January 29
Attendance: Myself and Amy
Time of Day: 11 AM
Items ordered:
Me: Pick 2 combo, with the turkey artichoke sandwich and a greek salad. Wheat baguette, and unsweet tea.
Amy: Pick 2 combo, with the Frontega Chicken sandwich and the french onion soup. Wheat baguette and a drink...I think it was water, but it could have been sprite?

That's Amy pictured. She was concerned after she realized I was taking pictures for the blog.

I am trying to order items off the menu that I wouldn't normally...for the sake of my fans. (Note the sarcasm) So on this visit, I really went out of my comfort zone and ordered the turkey artichoke, upon a recommendation from my friend, Megan. I must admit...this sandwich was delightful! If you haven't tried this one, put it on your list of must-haves! The description reads as such from the menu:

Smoked turkey, spinach artichoke spread, Asiago-Parmesan cheese,

tomatoes & caramelized onions, grilled hot on our Focaccia.

I wanted to order a bowl of soup instead of the salad, but I got nervous at the last minute, and went with what I knew...I was already trying a new sandwich, and going for a new soup would have been overkill. Predictably...the greek salad was good. As was the baguette, and of course the unsweet tea.

In regards to Amy's order...I must say I am a little fuzzy on the details. I am 95% sure she ordered the Frontega Chicken Panini. Amy, if you are reading this, please confirm. Also, her go-to soup is the french onion, which she did order. Overall, I believe Amy would recommend her meal.

The LAYOUT.

My vantage point from the table.

This was fairly busy for an 11 AM visit, but not packed. There is a pretty big space between the entrance and the cashiers...similar to the Westerville Panera. From the entrance there are 2 main seating areas, one to the left which is a smaller, more quaint setting...and then the main dining area to the right. We sat to the left...not necessarily by choice. There weren't many options left.

I liked this Panera, and I would visit this one again.

Random NOTES.

• I forgot to check out the bathrooms...sorry no bathroom review. But I sense they would be decent.
• This Panera also had the bar seating area, like the Dublin Panera.
• My biggest complaint about going to Panera with Amy is that she is always in a rush to leave...ironically, on this visit, I had to rush us out. I don't think Amy will let me live this one down.
• Amy is pregnant, and is about to pop any day now. There is a poll on when the baby will be born and the sex. It costs a dollar to get in.