Cocco Bello Cafe: Looking for Panini?

Lunch can be a hectic time of the day, especially if you are running on a tight schedule. Long lines can often plague fast-food establishments and many restaurants can be rather pricey. Fortunately, there are places like , which offer great service and an elegant atmosphere at a reasonable price.

Every meal begins with a basket of freshly sliced bread and breadsticks, which are always a good holdover as you wait for your meal to arrive. Beverage options include Coke, Sprite and fresh-brewed iced tea. Italian specialty drinks, Pellegrino and Panna water, are offered as well.

For starters, we sampled the Pappa al Pomodoro, otherwise known as the Tomato Bread Soup. The soup was flavorful and was packed with just the right amount of bread and a thinly sliced piece of mozzarella cheese on top for added flavor. The restaurant's soup offerings vary daily. Other regulars include butternut squash, lentil and split pea.

The lunch menu consists of a number of different salads and paninis to satisfy nearly any craving.

Among the salad options are the Gorgonzola, which features a generous helping of mixed greens, walnuts and pieces of Gorgonzola cheese, and the Vegetable, which is a mixture of grilled vegetables in a balsamic dressing. Chicken, Salmon and Shrimp can be added onto any of Cocco Bello's salads for an additional charge.

There are nearly a dozen different paninis to choose from, each served with a side of salad or french fries. One tasty looking choice is the Panini Six, which is a traditional cheesesteak sandwich that is pressed and topped with onions and mozzarella, just like they make them in Philadelphia.

If You Go: Cocco Bello Cafe is open Monday-Wednesday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Thursday-Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. It's located at 155 S. Livingston Ave.