I’ll admit it. This is not going to be the most hoity-toity, sophisticated restaurant review in the world. But, I want to tell you about my experiences with this chain called Panera Bread because it’s not bad. It’s not great either, but it’s always good to know of a reliably acceptable place to pick up a quick bite to eat when you’re out about about, away from the controlled quality of food from your home kitchen. I can often be a little scared of new places, especially places that seem to be geared toward the masses. I figure, “Those places can’t be good, right?”

But Panera Bread is alright. They use too much mayonaise. Their food is already made and assembled before you get there, so you can’t order any substitutions or additions. But, I’ve always been surprised by everything I’ve had there because it’s better than expected. Hey, it’s not Nordstrom Cafe, but it will do when I’m hungry and nowhere near a Nordie’s.

The last time I ate at Panera was with my friend Serene. She got chips and a Tuna Salad sandwich with leaf lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, mayonnaise, spicy mustard, salt and pepper, which she enjoyed but which further reinforced the mayo overload comment I made above.

And I got a Sierra Turkey sandwich which has smoked turkey breast with smoky chipotle mayonnaise, field greens and red onions, on our Asiago Cheese focaccia. Next time, I’ll hold the mayo… if they let me! Panera offers a lunch special where you can pick any two of soup, salad, or sandwich. So, I paired my sandwich with a Fandango Salad consisting of mixed field greens and romaine lettuce with toasted walnuts, gorgonzola cheese, Mandarin orange slices and our fat-free raspberry dressing. I usually despise low-carb and fat-free fare, but this salad was surprisingly good and I even liked the dressing.

So, while I realize that this restaurant review is decidedly pedestrian, I really am glad that Panera is passable for lunch. Sometimes it’s just so convenient. And it’s not bad… I swear!