Panera

[Geoff Miller]

Anybody else tried this chain? It's essentially half-bakery, half
sandwich shop. I haven't sampled their baked goods, but their
sandwiches aren't half (heh...) bad.

There's one of them in the aforementioned strip mall on North First
Street in San Jose where Five Guys is located. I've gone there for
take-out three times over the last couple of weeks.

I like it partly for variety, and partly because after I've gotten
lunch from any of the other places in that shopping center that my
coworkers love so much -- Five Guys, Panda Express, or Chipotle -- I
feel like I've eaten a goddamned bowling ball and usually have to skip
dinner. I'm sorry, but sitting in a swivel chair in a cubicle all day
as I do, I just don't need all that much food. (Although I have to
say, a burrito from Chipotle would be enough for two meals, even at
the best of times.)

Also, they're fast. I'll have my food within 1-2 minutes of placing
my order. When you pay, the cashier hands you one of those plastic
coasters favored by noisy places that buzzes and flashes when your
order is ready.

So far I've tried the Bacon-Turkey Bravo, the Chicken Caesar, and the
Asiago Roast Beef. All good, not overly expensive, and just the right
amount of food for lunch.

http://www.panerabread.com/




Geoff

--
"I'm going to grab an oil lamp and go looking for an honest person who
disagrees with me and can stay on-topic." -- Jim Goad

[Peter Lawrence]

Yeah, I like them too, for many reasons that you already stated. For me,
one of the most important aspects of any sandwich is the bread. This is
where places like Togos, Subway, and Quiznos fall down. Their bread has no
character (let alone, often times, taste). And while the bread used for
their sandwiches isn't the very best of the best bread I've had, the bread
at Panera is still pretty good, especially for a chain.

And other thing I really like about Panera is that they serve three
varieties of good tasting coffee brewed fresh *throughout* the day.

I don't really like drinking soft drinks with my meals (too sweet), so it's
very nice to have another good tasting option besides plain old water.


- Peter

[Earl]

They are very good but a bit expensive for what you get IMO.

[Jerry Sauk]

I haven't tasted thier food, but we got a store about a year ago. They had
a interesting promotion that I almost went to, they had a day where people
didn't have to pay for the food. The idea was, people could pay whatever
they wanted for the meal (even if it was $0) and all the money they got
would be donated to charity. I almost went to the, but don't really like
the taste of bread, and then add the fact that I would have to enter the
store in person, It just wasn't worth the hassle.





"Geoff Miller" <geo...@netgate.net> wrote in message
news:3anup79j2u0fsupfe...@4ax.com...

[Tim May]

On 2012-05-01 04:10:20 +0000, Geoff Miller said:
>
> I like it partly for variety, and partly because after I've gotten
> lunch from any of the other places in that shopping center that my
> coworkers love so much -- Five Guys, Panda Express, or Chipotle -- I
> feel like I've eaten a goddamned bowling ball and usually have to skip
> dinner. I'm sorry, but sitting in a swivel chair in a cubicle all day
> as I do, I just don't need all that much food. (Although I have to
> say, a burrito from Chipotle would be enough for two meals, even at
> the best of times.)

This is basically why I eat just a single hamburger at In-N-Out, or as
I did today, a Jumbo Jack (without cheese) from the JITB near where I
was picking up garden supplies. (In the OSH very near that Del Taco
that got $12 of your lunch money recently.)

Anything more than half a Subway foot-long, or a $4 meat at a fast food
place, causes me to lose focus for much of the afternoon.

I haven't tried Panera. I generally avoid bakeries, for various reasons.

Taco places, especially the local kind (Tacos Moreno on Water Street in
Santa Cruz, Los Perricos near the Occupy encampment in Santa Cruz,
Tacqueria Vallarta, Mi Tierra in Watsonville, La Bamba in two locations
in Mountain View, etc.) offer a very protein-rich and vegie-rich taco
option for under $3. Even two tacos can be enough protein without too
many stupor-inducing carbs.




--
Tim May

[Geoff Miller]

Earl <earl...@hotmail.com> writes:

> They are very good but a bit expensive for what you get IMO.

I find that I pay maybe a dollar more than I would at the adjacent
Chipotle or Five Guys, get a lunch that's at least as good, definitely
more healthy, and don't end up with a distended stomach. All in all,
it works out for me.

But I'm no Panera evangelist, and can certainly understand why some
people might balk at the price.



Geoff

--
"Among the most surprising revelations in the Osama bin Laden papers
is that he preferred the Dick Sargent era on "Bewitched." -- Jim Goad

[Geoff Miller]

Tim May <tc...@att.net> writes:

> Anything more than half a Subway foot-long, or a $4 meat at a fast food
> place, causes me to lose focus for much of the afternoon.

I've had Subway foot-longs a few times. Even when I was especially
ravenous, I always regretted it.

Given the denser bread that they use, a "large" from Togo's is right
out.

> I haven't tried Panera. I generally avoid bakeries, for various reasons.

I avoided it for awhile because that's all I thought it was: a bakery.
But once I tried it, I realized that it's actually a sandwich shop
with a bakery counter on the side. The bakery image gives the place a
little extra panache, I guess.

Speaking of bakeries that serve sandwiches, have you tried the
Buttery, on Soquel across Branciforte from Shopper's Corner? Honest
question. A friend of mine recommends their sandwiches highly. I've
never been in there, for sandwiches or baked goods.

> Taco places, especially the local kind (Tacos Moreno on Water Street in
> Santa Cruz, Los Perricos near the Occupy encampment in Santa Cruz,
> Tacqueria Vallarta, Mi Tierra in Watsonville, La Bamba in two locations
> in Mountain View, etc.) offer a very protein-rich and vegie-rich taco
> option for under $3. Even two tacos can be enough protein without too
> many stupor-inducing carbs.

I've driven past Tacos Moreno a million times, but have yet to try it.
I note that they took over the former location of Erik's DeliCafe on
Capitola Road, near OSH.

I really like Tacqueria Vallarta. I used to be a semi-regular at
Taqueria La Bamba and the adjacent La Costena in Mountain View, but
haven't been to either in years.



Geoff

--
"Muhammad Ali is so excited about his 70th birthday, he's shaking."
-- Jim Goad

[gregz]

Sqwertz <swe...@cluemail.compost> wrote:

> On Tue, 08 May 2012 21:20:09 -0700, Geoff Miller wrote:
>
>> Tim May <tc...@att.net> writes:
>>
>>> Anything more than half a Subway foot-long, or a $4 meat at a fast food
>>> place, causes me to lose focus for much of the afternoon.
>>
>> I've had Subway foot-longs a few times. Even when I was especially
>> ravenous, I always regretted it.
>

> I had to eat my first Subway sandwich in 14 years last August. Had to
> leave town on Greyhound in a hurry and couldn't get a plane flight nor
> an ID card quick enough (wallet was stolen), so Greyhound it was.
>
> That was the BEST place that Greyhound had a layover - a truck stop
> that had a Subway in it. I told them Batman from Green Bay sent me,
> and they just looked at me kinda crazy.
>
> -sw

It was many years since I went to subway. I started picking up subs on way
to camp. I am pleased with them, except the meatball. Tasted like canned
meatballs.
5 different breads, and they toast if you want it.

Greg

[Peter Lawrence]

On 5/9/12 5:22 PM, gregz wrote:
>
> 5 different breads, and they toast if you want it.

With the amount of sugar, HFCS, or other sweeteners Subway adds to their
bread, it's more like they serve five different types of sliced cake rolls
than sliced bread rolls.


- Peter

[Peter Lawrence]

On 5/10/12 3:48 AM, Sqwertz wrote:

> On Thu, 10 May 2012 00:22:50 +0000 (UTC), gregz wrote:
>>
>> 5 different breads, and they toast if you want it.
>

> It's the breads that I hate the most (the last place I ate only had
> two kinds - white and wheat). I hate the smell of the breads, the
> texture, the taste, and even the way they cut it.

Sometimes I think it's all that HFCS they use in their breads that give
Subway shops their one-of-a-kind other-worldly stench.


- Peter

[Geoff Miller]

Sqwertz <swe...@cluemail.compost> writes:

> It's the breads that I hate the most (the last place I ate only had

> two kinds [...]

[country *and* western!]

> I hate the smell of the breads, the texture, the taste, and even
> the way they cut it.

You know, I always noticed that distinctive smell, myself. I doesn't
bother me, and I never really thought much about it. But what Peter
said about HFCS, etc., certainly got my attention. Gack-o-rama.


> Second thing I hate is the lack of meat, low quality meats, and the
> overabundance of vegetables that slop all over the place (due the
> way the bread is cut).

All of that is why I greatly prefer Togo's to Subway. Unfortunately,
as I may have mentioned, a coworker with whom I often go to lunch
doesn't like Togo's because their "large" is a couple of bucks more
expensive than Subway's "Footlong." (Yes, he's a "big boy.") Quality
and worth don't enter into it for him




Geoff
--
"On some nights I still believe that a car with the gas needle on
empty can run about fifty more miles if you have the right music very
loud on the radio.” -- Hunter S. Thompson

[Peter Lawrence]

On 5/11/12 7:29 PM, Geoff Miller wrote:
> Sqwertz<swe...@cluemail.compost> writes:
>>
>> It's the breads that I hate the most (the last place I ate only had
>> two kinds [...]
>
> [country *and* western!]
>
>
>> I hate the smell of the breads, the texture, the taste, and even
>> the way they cut it.
>
> You know, I always noticed that distinctive smell, myself. I doesn't
> bother me, and I never really thought much about it. But what Peter
> said about HFCS, etc., certainly got my attention. Gack-o-rama.
>
>
>> Second thing I hate is the lack of meat, low quality meats, and the
>> overabundance of vegetables that slop all over the place (due the
>> way the bread is cut).
>
> All of that is why I greatly prefer Togo's to Subway. Unfortunately,
> as I may have mentioned, a coworker with whom I often go to lunch
> doesn't like Togo's because their "large" is a couple of bucks more
> expensive than Subway's "Footlong." (Yes, he's a "big boy.") Quality

> and worth don't enter into it for him.

A smaller Northern California (and Nevada) sandwich chain which I tried a
few months ago in the small city of Oakdale, was Mr. Pickles. I was curious
and wasn't quite sure what to expect, but I was very pleasantly surprised by
the quality of their meats and the taste of their bread.

The quality of the meats was similar to Togo's but the bread was better than
Togos, Quiznos and of course, Subway.

But unlike Togos, their bread rolls were *not* overly large. More in
keeping to the size of those of Subway and Quiznos, but of better quality.

They currently have a number of locations in the Bay Area and in other parts
of Northern California, but none in the South Bay yet.


- Peter

[Geoff Miller]

Peter Lawrence <humm...@aol.com> writes:

[Mr. Pickles]

Good to know. I'll watch for it. It seems likely that they'll expand
into Silicon Valley eventually.

> The quality of the meats was similar to Togo's but the bread was better
> than Togos, Quiznos and of course, Subway.

I'd almost forgotten about Quizno's, strangely enough. A former
coworker of mine was big on that place, but since he's moved on, the
rest of us have stopped going there. It pretty much dropped off my
radar.

There are two close to where I work, one in a condo complex on North
First at Rio Robles and another in Rivermark Plaza on Montague at
Agnew.

I remember their incredibly annoying TV commercials when they first
established a presence in the Bay Area. They featured an image of
what appeared to be a chinchilla in a sock (it was never clear to me
what the significance of that bizarre image was), and had one of those
jingles that's almost impossible to get out of your mind.

Anyway, Quizno's is okay. I like the fact that their sandwiches are
grilled.




Geoff

--
"Who's the slimy little Communist shit twinkle-toed cocksucker
down here who just signed his own death warrant?"
-- GySgt Hartman, USMC

[Peter Lawrence]

On 5/13/12 11:02 AM, Geoff Miller wrote:
>
> Peter Lawrence<humm...@aol.com> writes:
>
> [Mr. Pickles]
>
> Good to know. I'll watch for it. It seems likely that they'll expand
> into Silicon Valley eventually.
>
>
>> The quality of the meats was similar to Togo's but the bread was better
>> than Togos, Quiznos and of course, Subway.
>
> I'd almost forgotten about Quizno's, strangely enough. A former
> coworker of mine was big on that place, but since he's moved on, the
> rest of us have stopped going there. It pretty much dropped off my
> radar.
>
> There are two close to where I work, one in a condo complex on North
> First at Rio Robles and another in Rivermark Plaza on Montague at
> Agnew.
>
> I remember their incredibly annoying TV commercials when they first
> established a presence in the Bay Area. They featured an image of
> what appeared to be a chinchilla in a sock (it was never clear to me
> what the significance of that bizarre image was), and had one of those
> jingles that's almost impossible to get out of your mind.
>
> Anyway, Quizno's is okay. I like the fact that their sandwiches are
> grilled.

One problem with Quiznos is that they had too many *separate* franchisees
open to many stores too close to each other. The individual franchisees
were not given enough territory to call their own, so quite a few went under.

Have you ever tried one of those "sourdough" sandwich shops, like California
Sourdough on Murphy (between I-880 and I-680). They tend to be individually
owned shops that feature sandwiches made on fresh sourdough bread. These
shops appear to be popular around the San Jose area.


- Peter

[Geoff Miller]

Sqwertz <swe...@cluemail.compost> writes:

> Looks like the Togo's at Lawrence and Titan Way (Arquez) is now a
> "Tasty Subs and Pizza". And Computer Literacy is a "Tampa Dance
> Academy" (Indian), if I'm reading Google Street View correctly.


There's an excellent computer bookstore just up the street from where
Computer Literacy used to be, the Digital Guru. It's in the same
complex as St. John's and all that. There used to be a good Indian
buffet next door, but it's changed hands at least once since I was
last there.

St. John's is another lunch spot I used to frequent, but haven't been
to in quite awhile. My cowororker who was the instigator for going
there got laid off. We'd get there early, at 11:30 or so before the
crowds hit, and grab stools at the bar. Usually on Mondays. A shot
of tequila as an "appetizer" was a nice way to take the edge off of
the beginning of the week.



Geoff

--
"From a Commie under every bush, America has moved to a Mommy
behind every bush. Can I have my Commies back?" -- Fred Reed

[Geoff Miller]

Sqwertz <swe...@cluemail.compost> writes:

> Nit Pick: Broiled.


You're right. I don't know what I was thinking when I wrote
"grilled," or why. I certainly wasn't crazed with drink at the time.

I suspect "toasted" was the word I was looking for, thinking primarily
of the condition of the bread when it comes out of that conveyor
device. But "broiled" is more accurate.

Tangential aside: When I was a kid, I used to see a lot of signs
inside coffee shops touting "Broasted Chicken." What the hell was
that, exactly? I never tried any, as far as I remember.



Geoff
--
"If we go by the law of averages, manic-depressives are normal."
-- I.S.

[Geoff Miller]

Peter Lawrence <humm...@aol.com> wrote:

> One problem with Quiznos is that they had too many *separate* franchisees
> open to many stores too close to each other. The individual franchisees
> were not given enough territory to call their own, so quite a few went under.

The two I mentioned always seemed strangely close to each other. Then
again, both are always mobbed at lunchtime, so it seems to have worked
out. As is more and more common in the South Bay, parking is totally
inadequate at both, so timing is critical.

> Have you ever tried one of those "sourdough" sandwich shops, like California
>Sourdough on Murphy (between I-880 and I-680).

No, I'm not familiar with them. But thanks for mentioning them; I'll
give one a try sometime soon. I looked at the one you mentioned in
Google Earth, and it appears to be located in an office park,
strangely enough.

Speaking of locating lunch spots in office parks, I always thought the
business model of the De La Cruz Deli was "genius," as the kids like
to say, locating in '70s-era tilt-up industrial rentals.



Geoff

--
"There's no kill like a guns kill." -- LCDR Joe "Hoser" Satrapa, USN

[gregz]

Sqwertz <swe...@cluemail.compost> wrote:

> On Sun, 13 May 2012 18:17:45 -0700, Geoff Miller wrote:
>
>> Sqwertz <swe...@cluemail.compost> writes:
>>
>>> Nit Pick: Broiled.
>>
>> You're right. I don't know what I was thinking when I wrote
>> "grilled," or why. I certainly wasn't crazed with drink at the time.
>>
>> I suspect "toasted" was the word I was looking for, thinking primarily
>> of the condition of the bread when it comes out of that conveyor
>> device. But "broiled" is more accurate.
>

> Toasted is probably more accurate since it probably does bake and
> broiled at the same time (top and bottom). And I think that's what
> they advertise.

>
>> Tangential aside: When I was a kid, I used to see a lot of signs
>> inside coffee shops touting "Broasted Chicken." What the hell was
>> that, exactly? I never tried any, as far as I remember.
>

> Pressure deep fried. A trademarked name for a commercial pressure
> deep fryer.
>
> -sw

My local broacher has been there for over 40 years. my favorite chicken,
but they add no special flavor in the breading, virtually no trace of oil.
The chicken is very dry, especially the next day.

Greg

[Peter Lawrence]

On 5/13/12 9:50 PM, Sqwertz wrote:

> On Sun, 13 May 2012 21:14:57 -0500, Sqwertz wrote:
>> On Sun, 13 May 2012 18:17:45 -0700, Geoff Miller wrote:
>>>

>>> Tangential aside: When I was a kid, I used to see a lot of signs
>>> inside coffee shops touting "Broasted Chicken." What the hell was
>>> that, exactly? I never tried any, as far as I remember.
>>

>> Pressure deep fried. A trademarked name for a commercial pressure
>> deep fryer.
>

> http://www.broaster.com/fdsvceqp.htm#Fryers
>
> -sw

Interesting.

The New Oxford American Dictionary (NOAD) has a somewhat different
definition for the word broast and its derivative broasted:


broast |brōst|
verb
prepare food using a cooking process that combines broiling and roasting:
[ as adj. ] : broasted chicken.


- Peter

[Peter Lawrence]

On 5/14/12 10:05 AM, Sqwertz wrote:

> On Mon, 14 May 2012 01:30:19 -0700, Peter Lawrence wrote:
>> On 5/13/12 9:50 PM, Sqwertz wrote:
>>> On Sun, 13 May 2012 21:14:57 -0500, Sqwertz wrote:
>>>> On Sun, 13 May 2012 18:17:45 -0700, Geoff Miller wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> Tangential aside: When I was a kid, I used to see a lot of signs
>>>>> inside coffee shops touting "Broasted Chicken." What the hell was
>>>>> that, exactly? I never tried any, as far as I remember.
>>>>
>>>> Pressure deep fried. A trademarked name for a commercial pressure
>>>> deep fryer.
>>>
>>> http://www.broaster.com/fdsvceqp.htm#Fryers
>>>

>> Interesting.
>>
>> The New Oxford American Dictionary (NOAD) has a somewhat different
>> definition for the word broast and its derivative broasted:
>>
>> broast |brōst|
>> verb
>> prepare food using a cooking process that combines broiling and roasting:
>> [ as adj. ] : broasted chicken.
>

> I think Broaster has trademarked the word "broasted". I can't vouch
> for "broast", but it sure makes a lot more sense "broil + roast". I
> guess they're trying to lpay down the "deep fat fried" aspect.
> "Broast" does not appear on OED.
>
> -sw

What's also ironic is that in my younger days (think college-age) I would at
times cook a chicken in the oven with the oven's top broiler heating element
*and* the lower baking and roasting heating element turned on at the same
time. I guess that would meet the NOAD definition of broasting. ;)


- Peter

[gregz]

Sqwertz <swe...@cluemail.compost> wrote:

> On Mon, 14 May 2012 11:52:37 -0700, Peter Lawrence wrote:
>
>> What's also ironic is that in my younger days (think college-age) I would at
>> times cook a chicken in the oven with the oven's top broiler heating element
>> *and* the lower baking and roasting heating element turned on at the same
>> time. I guess that would meet the NOAD definition of broasting. ;)
>

> BTW: I was thinking back to all the electric ovens I used in the first
> half of my lifetime (gas ever since) and I don't recall any electric
> ovens where both elements could be used at the same time. I['m siure
> they existed, but I can see myself blowing some circuit breakers in my
> tiny apartments trying to do that.
>
> Hell, I couldn't even use my electric smoker unless the I unplugged
> the fridge (or turned it way up). Every time the fridge would turn on
> while the smoker was on - POP!
>
> -sw

We had an oven with preheat. All elements on.

Greg

[Tim May]

On 2012-05-14 02:09:01 +0000, Geoff Miller said:
>
>
> Speaking of locating lunch spots in office parks, I always thought the
> business model of the De La Cruz Deli was "genius," as the kids like
> to say, locating in '70s-era tilt-up industrial rentals.

We were force-fed (that is, in lieue of a lunch break) De La Cruz Deli
many times (dozens of times) during the 1982-1986 period. They had a
lock on Intel, or at least a payola lock on some at Intel.

Platters of dry sandwiches. Ugh.

As for the places you now have to visit at Rivermark and places like
that, since when were those actual places?

I've gotten lost in that section near Agnews State Hospital and amongst
the el fako condos packed 700 to the square mile and have concluded it
just ought to be all nuked during the Cleansing.

"But save the Red Robin, because America needs a place where a burger
costs $13.99!!!!"


--
Tim May

[Jerry Sauk]

"Sqwertz" <swe...@cluemail.compost> wrote in message
news:1d8yfd2ce0wqx$.dlg@sqwertz.com...

> That was the BEST place that Greyhound had a layover - a truck stop
> that had a Subway in it. I told them Batman from Green Bay sent me,
> and they just looked at me kinda crazy.
>
> -sw

Stevwe... they looked at you crazy becouse you ARE crazy.

[Jerry Sauk]

"Peter Lawrence" <humm...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:joh965$3o9$1...@dont-email.me...

HFCS is, SUGAR. it has no smell.

[Geoff Miller]

Tim May <tc...@att.net> writes:

[De La Cruz Deli]

> Platters of dry sandwiches. Ugh.

I don't recall what I had there. It's been years since I worked
anyplace that was close to one. But I remember that it was acceptable
food for lunch.

I'd think that a company ordering take-out sandwiches for its workers
would go the "low per-unit cost" route. It's doubtful that what Intel
management brought in _en masse_ for the worker bees was anything
close to the best the place had to offer.

> As for the places you now have to visit at Rivermark and places like
> that, since when were those actual places?

Since they're close to where I work. Lunch spots within a practical
radius of my office aren't always the sorts of places I'd necessarily
patronize on my own time. Lunch is a utilitarian meal to me. If I
can have a superior one, so much the better. But it's not my
immediate objective.

Red Robin is fun, once in awhile. My group at work goes there
occasionally. But cost effective? No.

> I've gotten lost in that section near Agnews State Hospital and amongst
> the el fako condos packed 700 to the square mile and have concluded it
> just ought to be all nuked during the Cleansing.

Parking at Rivermark is a pain in the ass because as is more and more
the fashion in the South Bay, the parking capacity is way too limited.
Timing is critical.

How anyone can live in any of those adjacent condos is beyond me.
Casual observation leads me to suspect that most of the residents are
people from cultures where folks are accustomed to living in one
another's pockets. A soulless condo is a step up for them, their
version of the American Dream.



Geoff

--
"This country is a better place because Fox News has succeeded."
-- Bill O'Reilly

[Jerry Sauk]

"Sqwertz" <swe...@cluemail.compost> wrote in message

news:ioifgebiume8$.dlg@sqwertz.com...
> On Wed, 16 May 2012 04:46:13 -0500, Sqwertz wrote:

>
> > On Wed, 16 May 2012 03:08:24 -0500, Jerry Sauk wrote:
> >
> >> HFCS is, SUGAR. it has no smell.
> >

> > An entry from the Book of Sauk and freely Googlable:
> >
> >
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.food.fast-food/msg/dd1771641af3e22b?dmode
=source
> >
> > "Soda is not sugar water. It doesn't even half sugar in it at all,
> > it's corn syrop. And even if it WAS real sugar, then it's STILL not
> > just sugar because they add many multiple other flavar's to each
> > different soda, that's why they all taste different."
>
> I guess Jerry has no response to being caught in another lie.
>
> -sw

IDIOT, I'm not your science teacher. HFCS is a FORM of sugar, but it isn't
sugar itself.

[Geoff Miller]

"Jerry Sauk" <jerr...@hotmail.com> writes:

> HFCS is a FORM of sugar, but it isn't sugar itself.

Everything that's "a form of sugar" is sugar itself, Jerry.

You apparently think that "sugar itself" is table sugar, AKA sucrose.
But it doesn't qualify for some sort of first-among-equals "official
sugar" status just because it's the type you're the most familiar
with.



Geoff

--
"Deeply disappointed there wasn't at least one wardrobe malfunction or
nipple slip during the Diamond Jubilee." -- Jim Goad