Panera Bread did it to me again.

[33anda3rd]

This is all v helpful, I'm gonna go after my basketball game this afternoon.

What should I get as a first-timer at Panera?

[33anda3rd]

We've set 33rd's expecation bar pretty low, but I am still fairly confident he's going to put the place on par with, I dunno- a coffee shop with 10 Keurig machines or something like that.

I know I'm a snob about some things but I'm not a snob about all things and I do tend to enter stuff like Panera with an open mind. I yield to no one in my love for McDonald's, esp the McChicken sandwich and fries + that chemically BBQ sauce. I think Papa John's pizza is awesome. etc.

[haltz]

bacon turkey bravo sub croissant + broccoli cheese soup

[heyzeus]

It's really not good. You don't need to be a snob to hold this truth to be self evident

[Jocephus]

i haven't read the book on how to determine if food is good or not but panera is not a place i would seek out. if others were going, ok, but it doesn't usually pop up in my head as a food destination.

[AWvsCBsteeeerike3]

bacon turkey bravo sub croissant + broccoli cheese soup

I would have said the broccoli cheese soup breadbowl.

[thrill]

It's really not good. You don't need to be a snob to hold this truth to be self evident

It's bad, but there's one by my house, so...

Chicken Frontera + tomato basil soup.

[jim]

What is the BreadCo thing you guys are talking about? Is that a Panera like St. Louis place?

St. Louis Bread Company IS Panera. St. Louis Bread Company was bought in the 90's by Au Bon Pain, rejiggered, and after local success, the model was taken nationally as Panera. Around St. Louis, the original name has stuck around.

This makes sense, because that turkey tomato basil creation that I ate tasted exactly like the crappy sauce that is used on St. Louis style pizza - i.e. ketchup.

[Tambourine Man]

It's really not good. You don't need to be a snob to hold this truth to be self evident

It's bad, but there's one by my house, so...

Chicken Frontera + tomato basil soup.

My go-to sandwich, but I change up the soups.

[33anda3rd]

I think I'm going to have the chicken. Perhaps some tomato soup. I don't generally like turkey*, and the idea of a sandwich on a buttery croissant plus a cream-based soup, well, just thinking about it has me scared of what my nocturnal emissions would be like. Also it's a balmy 38 degrees in Logan Square today, so I'll hold off on the cream soup for less summery weather.

I shall report back dutifully.

*except as discussed in the Official Meat Smoking Thread