Bites Nearby: Panera Bread

As I’m sure most people in the Valley learned last week, it’s difficult to do a lot of your everyday tasks without power. I count myself lucky that the only casualty in Hurricane Irene for me was my electricity, but I also forgot how inconvenient it would be to be without not only power but cable. As someone who’s typically checking their social networks on the hour, living without the Internet was a struggle. Sad, but true.

Luckily, there are a handful of local bookstores, coffee shops and restaurants that offer wireless access, including everyone’s favorite gourmet ‘fast food’ spot, Panera. In an effort to try and get a little work done and, I’ll be honest, catch up on the pop culture gossip I was missing, I hunkered down and decided to try some of their newer menu items.

The Dishes: Lemon Chicken Orzo soup, Cuban Chicken Panini, Thai Chopped Chicken Salad.

What’s on the Plate: The ‘You Pick Two’ combo (Lemon Chicken Orzo and Cuban Chicken Panini) and my Thai Chopped Chicken Salad were served with our choice of baguette, chips or an apple.

How’s it Taste? I’ve always been a huge fan of Panera’s Strawberry Poppy seed and Chicken Salad, but I think it might have some competition for my favoritism. The Thai Chopped Chicken Salad definitely has a little more kick to it, but if you like a little spice, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The salad is tossed with wonton strips, grilled chicken, cashews, cilantro, red bell pepper and edamame. You can attribute the spice to Panera’s Thai Chili Vinaigrette dressing and a spicy peanut drizzle. The peanut drizzle is an excellent complement to the grilled chicken and edamame.

My lunch buddy chose the Lemon Chicken Orzo soup, one of Panera’s newer soups that I was previously unfamiliar with. Luckily, she let me steal a few spoonfuls and I can safely say we’re now well-acquainted. The low-fat Mediterranean dish serves up chicken, orzo, spinach and carrots in a lemon-infused chicken broth, and I have to give Panera credit for not making their soup all broth. The dish had a hearty amount of chicken and vegetables, and it was a healthy alternative to my usual choice of baked potato. Her Cuban Chicken Panini was little less up-my-alley, but she seemed to enjoy the savory dish, which featured chicken, smoked ham, chipotle mayo and sun-dried tomato mustard on sourdough bread.

Eat this Because: Panera is constantly changing up their menu, so although you might have visited earlier this year, chances are there are newer menu items you have yet to try out.

Tab: $15.45

Etc: In addition to being a sandwich shop, Panera is also an operating bakery, with danishes, bagels and bread available to go.