Thoughts on Panera to-go...

This installment of the Panera blog will focus on take-out style Panera. While in transition from my place in New Albany to the new place in Upper Arlington, Candy volunteered to help load up some stuff to the new place. This took place on a Tuesday afternoon...so naturally, dinner was included in this outing. We decided to pick up some Panera to-go and take to Amy's, who lives just a few minutes from the new Upper Arlington place.

Amy, just recently had a baby boy...Drew Boy. So instead of gathering at the local Panera, it makes sense to take Panera to her. I had no intention of including this in the blog, but after much discussion over the dinner table that evening...I was convinced that it made sense to profile Panera take-out.

I don't think I am out of line by stating that take-out is never as good as dining in. Never. And I believe it applies to all restaurants. Panera is no different. The biggest rip-off are the to-go containers. I ordered a chicken cobb salad...and I would have to say that it was probably the same portion that I would have received by dining in. Candy, on the other hand, ordered a greek salad as part of a pick 2....she was ripped off. She also ordered a soup to-go. I didn't see the logic in her order...as to me it seems pretty obvious that a side salad and soup to-go would be the worst items to order to-go. But to each his own, I suppose.

Amy ("Mose") ordered her standard Sierra Turkey. I think a sandwich order to-go from Panera is by far the safest pick. You certainly cannot get ripped off on portion sizes.

Despite my concerns for portion sizes, it was an enjoyable evening with good friends. What a way to bring the comforts of Panera...home!

Drew Boy...(apologies for the awkward photo angle...technology is not cooperating with me)

A Cleveland review, plus read my new Calorie category...

Date visited: Saturday, May 7
Time of day: 3ish
Those in attendance: Me (Sad face)
Items ordered: To go order...wild berry smoothie + chocolate chip cookie

On a visit to see my sister's new house in Cleveland + see my niece and nephew, I was able to sneak in a Cleveland area Panera visit.

For my many blog followers, you might be thinking, "what a random list of items ordered." Indeed it is random. But I had some rewards built up on MY PANERA card which included a free smoothie and a free pastry. I had a long drive back to Columbus, so I thought that would be a perfect pick-me-up for the drive home.

FYI...the smoothie was delightful. It was also pretty filling. Combine that with a big cookie, and I was pretty full. I think that gives me a new item to include in this blog...the number of calories/fat included in my Panera outings. This could get dangerous....and might not always include the butter in my count:)

Calories consumed:
Smoothie = 290 cal / 1.5 fat g
Cookie = 440 cal / 24 fat g (HOLY S#!T)

Total cals consumed: 730 wow. disgusting.

RANDOM notes.

• I frequent this Westlake Panera, nearly every visit to see my sister. It is nearby, and offers a friendly atmosphere. 
• The signage is awful. Though I have been going to this Panera for close to 10 years now, I always miss the entrance. 
• In case you ever wondered, a cookie is considered 'pastry' at Panera. When I think of pastries I think of danish, or tarts, things like that. Those are not really my cup of tea. So I was pleasantly surprised to learn that a cookie counts as a pastry!
• I had my heart set on this M & M cookie, but apparently I ordered a plain old chocolate chip. I questioned the cashier when she handed me the chocolate chip...then I realized what I had done. Somewhat embarrassed.
• The sun was shining on this visit to Cleveland. That happens roughly 20% of my visits. Typically, there is a dark cloud as you drive up 71 or 77.

Pre-Wedding lunch at Lewis Center Panera

My good friend, David, invited me to a wedding in Tiffin, Ohio recently. When discussing the details as to when we leave and how we get there, I was excited to learn that we would drive directly past a Panera on Rt. 23! I kept this news to myself, until we made final plans...and casually mentioned that we should have lunch beforehand. He agreed. I then non-chalantly mentioned that we could stop at the Lewis Center Panera on Rt. 23. By that point I was caught...but he still agreed to go. I think he secretly wanted to be mentioned on this blog, if you ask me.

That morning of the wedding, another one of my friends, Candy called to see if I wanted to go to the New Albany Panera for breakfast. It seems I was double-booked for Panera visits. As luck would have it, Candy agreed to join David and I at the Lewis Center location.

The REVIEW.
Date visited: Saturday, April 30
Time of day: 11 ish
Those in attendance/items ordered:
Me: Chopped Chicken Cobb (my new obsession), unsweet tea, baguette
Candy: Greek salad and it appears like a lemonade?
David: Cuban chicken pannini, chips, and mt. dew

The location of this Panera is difficult to enter heading north-bound, as it is located on the left-hand side of the road. The entrances are confusing, and slightly dangerous. The layout is very similar to the Panera on Sawmill/161, however, this Panera is a free-standing unit.

Random NOTES.

• I actually made notes on my blackberry about this visit because there were so many random notes to mention, but I have since switched cell phones, and lost this in the switch.
• Candy was a bit late in meeting us. (Shocking)
• We discussed blogs during our meal. Abby, who is our mutual friend and frequently mentioned on this blog, also has a blog. Candy admitted to not reading the Panera blog or Abby's blog. I won't lose sleep over that confession. She did mention that she doesn't have time to read blogs, and can just read one blog...her chiropractor's wife's. Hmm.....interesting. What?
• I have decided to refer to Candace as "Candy" in this blog, only because she won't read it.
• The bathrooms were tricky...you couldn't tell if someone was in the stall or not. I accidentally walked in on an elderly lady. I felt terrible.
• This was also the day after the "royal wedding" of Prince William. We discussed our thoughts on the dress.

Gorgonzola, Fundraising, and other random notes at the Dublin Festival Center

Next stop...Panera Dublin, OH. Actually there are a few Panera's to choose from in "Dublin"...today's focus is the Dublin Festival Center located off of Sawmill/161. Not my first visit to this one, but this was my first visit back in nearly 7 years.

The REVIEW.

Date visited: Sunday, April 17
Time of day: 11ish
Those in attendance: Myself, Abby
Items ordered:
 Me: Chopped chicken cobb (sub feta for bleu cheese more in the random notes)
 Abby: Pick 2 combo...greek salad with some sort of meatless sandwich (I forget, again more in random      notes)

Nestled in a popular shopping center in the heart of Sawmill Rd, this Panera connects to a Barnes and Noble. It is difficult to find this store...as is anything on Sawmill. Turns out the sign code requires a tree or building to be built in front of every sign. (sarcasm)

Notice the placement of the registers.

The layout is nice. You walk directly in from the entrance and there is ample standing room to view the menu. However, I am not sure about the logic of placing the bakery registers as the first registers that you see versus the cafe register.

The crowd was pretty busy, which is to be expected for a Sunday at 11.

Random NOTES.

• This was my second time ordering the chopped chicken cobb salad. The first time I ordered this, I wasn't a fan of the cheese. I mistakenly thought it was bleu cheese. Turns out they use gorgonzola...apparently I don't like that either. I asked the cashier at this visit to sub feta instead of bleu cheese. I was politely corrected that they don't use bleu cheese on that salad.
• I forgot to take a pic of the food. That is why I can't remember what Abby ordered. As this visit was well over a month ago, I suppose it would be slightly creepy if I did remember everything she ordered.
• I do remember it being unseasonably COLD, yet sunny that day. This angered me, though I was happy to see the sunshine.
• In pure Panera style...there was a fundraiser starting the next day (April 18) to raise money for Autism Speaks. (See photo)

Why men don't like Panera...

Manly man wants steak sandwich...not a sierra turkey
on asiago bread and a whole wheat baguette.

Just a casual observation, but in my experience it seems that most men don't like Panera. I have discussed this with a few friends both male and female, and they all seem to agree. Panera is far from the number 1 choice for men to dine. Next time you are at a Panera, look around. Do the men seem happy to be there? Or are they typically there by obligation, i.e...some woman dragged him there.

Of course there are always exceptions to the rule, one of them being, the wifi user. This guy can typically be found during normal business hours sipping on a coffee, checking up on some important emails and facebook updates.

So, no lie...I was sitting at a Panera this afternoon and was thinking about this subject. It seems to me that Panera is missing a huge opportunity. They need to market to this demographic. Men want, quantity...and by quantity I mean large portions of meat.

So attention Panera Marketing Dept, here's my $0.02:

• Create a sandwich menu targeted for the male consumer. Catch phrases like "Double meat stacker" and anything with the word "Steak"...seem like no-brainers to me.
• Also avoid using words like "asiago", "tomato basil", "ciabatta" etc. Instead describe the bread as "White" or "Hoagie roll".

Let's be honest Panera, you have completely neglected a huge demographic. I'm not suggesting you turn Panera into a sports bar...but create a sandwich menu made for men. Do that and I am willing to bet that the average ticket sale rises...

I'm in Miami B%$tch...

Photo taken from my phone atop the Fountainbleu hotel.

Picture it, mid-April...Miami, Florida. This was my last and final trip to Florida during the winter months, however this was a legit work trip. I was attending an outdoor advertising conference at the Fountainbleu. I really did not plan on visiting a Panera during this trip, because I wasn't sure if I would have time to wander off-course to find one.

Turns out that just like John Ritter used to say as he pitched Hooked on Phonics...."where there's a will, there's an A."....well substitute that "A" for "way" and you get my point.

I was put in charge of booking the rooms. Being the frugal shopper that I am, upon arrival to our hotel, I soon find new meaning to the phrase, "You get what you pay for". Turns out, this place was smack dab in the middle of South Beach. I pulled up to the hotel late that Friday evening to what appears to be a non-stop MTV Spring Break episode. Not exactly what I had envisioned. The hotel was perfect...if you planned on passing out every night from intoxication.

My point is, they nickel and dimed you for everything at this hotel. Wifi was $10 per day. My parents arrived a day later than me, and on my way to pick them up from the airport, I found a Panera!! Naturally, I made a pit stop along with my lap top to this Panera before we went to the hotel.

The review.

Date visited: April 10
Time of Day: 5ish
Items ordered:
Me: Unsweet Tea
Bob: Coffee, black
Deb: Hazelnut coffee + free item (cinnamon crunch bagel which we all shared)

I was extremely happy to be at a Panera. After spending a day on South Beach, my pocket book was suffering. It was nice to see normal prices again. (Just to compare, a glass of iced tea at one restaurant on South Beach was $6)

Random NOTES.

• The outlet situation at this Panera was awful.
• The cashiers were extremely slow. But to their credit, they did allow deb to use her free "pastry" as a bagel...pretty sure that is illegal in Panera's rule book.
• Hazelnut coffee is very popular. Deb went to get her coffee, and there was none available. It took a long time for them to refill the hazelnut variety.
• This particular Panera is not owned by Covelli, although they do own several Florida Panera's

Diversity day in Bexley

For the past couple of months, I have been looking for a new place to move. During this process, Deb (my mom), decided to join me in my search efforts.

Now, I think by this point, Deb has accepted the consequences of hanging out with me on a Saturday morning. Generally speaking, any type of excursion with me requires some sort of a meal as one of the main events. Since the creation of this blog...that means Panera. Thankfully, Deb is a fan of Panera.

Bexley was next on my list, and seemed like it would be a nice area, so off we went.

Here are some of the high points...

Date of visit: April 2

Time of day: 11:30ish

Items ordered:

Me: Cuban chicken panini + black bean soup +  wheat baguette + unsweet tea 

Deb: Sierra Turkey + Chili + Hazelnut coffee

Random Notes.

• As you are driving down the main drag in Bexley (East Broad) you notice that the area is separated from extremely wealthy to extremely poor. While we were driving to Bexley we started out through the 'poor' side of town. Admittedly, we were a little concerned about where we were going to have this meal...and we were pleasantly surprised when we pulled up to the quaint neighborhood that this Panera sits.
• I have never seen such a heavily diverse crowd at a Panera...ever.
• The bathrooms were difficult to find. Both Deb and I tried to find the bathrooms on separate occasions and both walked toward the same wrong wall.

Final note...
Loved the layout. Enjoyed the area. Would like to go back for a summer visit to enjoy their patio/people watching.