Good Fixins : Panera Bread

For me, it used to be that the closest Panera Bread restaurant was a 25 minute drive away, but not with the latest opening on my side of town.

Panera is a natural, organic food restaurant with nummy veggie soups and sandwiches--both hot and cold. It is also a bakery and bread company.

Before Mariners baseball games in Seattle, I would love to swing by and pick up a Mediterranean sandwich (pictured above) and some chips, or an apple. It was my occasional haven.

However, the service at the newly opened chain is horrible! The few times I have tried to decide what to order, not even within two minutes I felt rushed and pressured by the saleslady who kept asking questions or staring me down. Maybe it is because this staff is entirely new and not fully trained yet, but I expect more than bare minimum.

Taking a step back from the poor service, it truly is a hard decision because the food is to-die-for (especially if you are an organic nut like me)!

My Fave Sandwich:
Mediterranean Veggie--piquant peppers, feta cheese, cucumbers, lettuce, tomatoes, onions and cilantro Jalapeño hummus on their infamous Tomato Basil bread.

My Fave Salad:
Caesar--romaine lettuce, Asiago-Parmesan cheese, homemade Asiago cheese croutons & their special Caesar dressing.

My Fave Soup:
Low-Fat Vegetarian Black Bean--plump black beans simmered in a spicy vegetarian broth with onion, red bell pepper, cilantro, garlic and cumin.

My Fave Pastry:
Bear Claw--made with an almond filling, drizzled with icing & sliced almonds.

Find a Panera Bread near you!