Wendy's, Panara....etc...

Panera bread...how I love thee....but your website sux...http://www.panerabread.com/menu/cafe/ the food DOES NOT. I do not have one of these places over where I live, therefore I have to celebrate it when I am home in Charleston by patronizing the location in Summerville, Sc.

On the Saturday morning I stopped there on my way out of town, t hey had a bunch of youngins working in there (read nonchalant teenagers). The menu has so many fabulous choices in the sandwich dept. that it was hard to make a choice. I did, however choose :

Turkey Artichoke
on Focaccia
Smoked turkey, spinach artichoke
spread, Asiago-Parmesan, tomatoes
& caramelized onions

This panini delivered. Completely. I loved it. The flavors were so perfect, nothing about it was wrong, well, except the choice of sides. Don't get me wrong, I totally get the "new age fancy sammich eater" thing, and no, fries should not be served with this sandwich. I have no clue what would have been a good accompaniment but I know it wasn't in the offerings they had there - a hunk of bread, an apple, and god knows what else- they lost me at apple. Here though, is the official listing from their menu of sides:

• Portion of French Baguette
• Portion of Whole Grain Baguette
• Kettle-Cooked or Baked Chips
• Apple

The chips may have been good, but the girl mumbled so I got a french baguette, which was, by the way freakin awesome- I am after all, a bread addict. The chips may have been good too though. When I pulled around, it was like a junior breadmakers of America camp meeting. They teens were all piled up against the counters. They glanced at the window and sent one over to get my money and then went back to it until I interrupted them again by having one sent over to deliver my food. Nonetheless, Panera Bread----loves it!

Wendy's. Normally, there are only certain things I eat from these fast food places. For example - McDonalds - only their coke, iced mocha, McRib, hashbrowns and occasionally yogurt parfait. Wendy's honey bbq boneless ribs and fries. Only. Oh and coke. They are 2nd behind McDonalds for good soda.

I was due to go to a luncheon today for my Social Worker's Association. The traffic was horrendous because of some construction, so I whipped around and decided to try something different at Wendy's. The apple pecan salad is now my 2nd fave thing to eat there. It has craisins, apples, blue cheese, grilled chicken and a to-die-4 pomegranate dressing. I liked it so much, I will probably have it for dinner tonite. That dressing is probably the best I have had in a while- and sort of "fancy-pants" - magazine food, my husband calls it- and straight up my ally!

Wendy's apple-pecan grilled chicken salad- Loves it!