Damn you Panera for discontinuing the potato cream cheese soup. Yes, I know you now have baked potato soup but it’s not the same.
I guess I can forgive you a little because of the lattes and fandango salad and tuna salad on whole wheat and asiago bagels and…
We just happened to stop at our local Panera’s for the first time tonight. I got the soup in the sourdough bread bowl. Yummmmm. We shall return.
Oh yeah, and there’s a fireplace in ours, but it wasn’t lit tonight.
I have eaten at Panera at least 4 times a week for the last 3 months. One day, I didn’t have a car and I needed lunch. My boss told me to take his car and go get some soup from Panera. I had never even heard of the place. I got the broccoli chedder soup. I have had that soup at least 3 times a week since then. I’m just now getting sick of it.
The fiesta con queso soup is awesome. It’s a vegetarian soup but tastes like a taco. I love their 3 cheese bread - not to mention the fact that a loaf costs the same as a loaf of store bought white bread.
Have any of you tried the cobblestone muffins? Oh my they are heavenly. Apples and cinnimon and raisons and they’re huge!
Ours has a fireplace too. I go there for lunch almost every day that I work and sometimes on my days off too. I order my food - actually I just stand there. The employees all know exactly what I want. Then, I read a good book in front of the fireplace while I eat. Most of the employees will come to talk to me while I eat. They even take away my empty bowl when I’m done.
I also love the fact that they serve their soup in real bowls with real spoons.
So, what? Did you gain 2 pounds? Get over it, and stop punishing yourself for enjoying life a little, you deserve it, damnit! 
Damn you for not selling it in two-ton jugs so I can take it home and hook up an IV line…
My Panera faces a Super Target. I’m thinking about taking up residence in the parking lot.
You mean it isn’t? 
I love Panera bagels. Not authentic bagels by a damn sight, not even close – they’re too greasy and too sweet, all at the same time. But they are delicious, don’t get me wrong, especially the asiago and French toast bagels. Sometimes I dazzle my co-workers at the library by bringing in a sack of a dozen bagels on random Friday mornings. I think the Panera sandwiches are too small for the price they charge, but not bad either. And their sweet green iced tea is AWESOME.
The Cinnamon Crunch and Mocha Chip Swirl bagels are divoon. And the Cobblestone muffin thingies. And the German Chocolate danish.
Panera is sweetly evil. I like that in a place.
Oh, yeah, that Bistro Steak Salad. That’s some good eatin’.
I like their Chai Tea Latte. I could mainline that stuff.
I got two Panera gift cards at Christmas from my students; one for $25 and one for $15. You know how many Chai Tea Lattes you can buy with $40? Lots and lots.
One of my students just moved, and as a going-away present (for being such a wonderful teacher ) she gave me a $15 Panera card. I think I drooled on it a little.
Shouldn’t this be in the Pit? If not would it have killed you to say darn? Some of us are very sensitive.
My roommate’s girlfriend got me a $15 Panera gift card for Chanukah – I couldn’t believe it! (I got her a bottle of Gosling Black Seal dark rum, but I was still blown away by her generosity.)
I like that in a person
Panera’s literally added to my quality of life these last few weeks in Tampa. I got wi-fi (so I got SDMB, not that my getting the Dope these past two weeks has worked out well for anyone), I got cinnamon bagels, I got cheddar-and-broccoli Soup in a Bowl, I got to drink coffee and use the bathroom while my host was sleeping in every day. W/o Panera’s I would have had a a significantly less good time.
There’s no Panera’s near me in NYC.
I just wanted to say that I am at my local Panera, enjoying a spinach and artichoke souffle and a Banana Pecan bagel with cream cheese. Oh, and coffee. 
I just had lots of work to do and no desire to annoy anyone in the house to do it.
Robin
When I saw my second Panera (after eating at the first one I had encountered) and realized that they were [at the time] regional and about to go national — I bought stock. I didn’t buy enough to get rich doing it, but it’s about doubled since when I got it a few years ago.
So, keep it up!
Anyone else who wants to put his or her money were their mouth is - the code letters are PNRA
Overpriced? Ha! For $8 I can get quality food. Compare that to MickeyD’s and it’s a freaking bargain.
I am shamelessly addicted to Panera’s french onion soup. When I’m feeling particularly reckless, I’ll pair it with an Asian sesame salad. “Pick a pair for $6.19.”
This past Thursday I sent my homesick niece (she’s a freshman at Bowling Green) a $20 gift card to Panera and a $20 gift card to Wendy’s. I sent her a note that said, “I was a poor college student once. Enjoy.”
Hey, we’re not above bribery to keep a kid in school.
I’ve eaten at Panera a few times, but last week we ordered in food for a meeting. I’d ordered half a Ham and Swiss on Rye with Half a Caesar Salad. My salad came with a hunk of crusty bread. I was a bit dismayed when I realized there was no butter and I would have to choke down this hunk of crusty bread dry.
Then I took a bite…
They’ve got a Panera at the Danvers Mall up here. Mrs. Fresh and I bring stuff to read and hang out there for a couple of hours while we wait for our movie to start with our coffee and bagels (with sun-dried tomato cream cheese, of course.). I’m a huge fan of their Chicken Sierra sandwhich. Hanging out at the Danvers Mall Panera sure beats the hell out of the food court.
That’s it, after reading this thread I’m dragging my brother there for lunch today.
Usually Panera is way too overwhemling for him, he doesn’t know what to get. Not today, though! I’m making him get a you pick two so I can have two choices of soup to dip my delicious, free roll in while enjoying my amazing chicken salad sandwich on sweet wheat bread. He’s a big fan of peanut butter and jelly so I can imagine he’ll be blown away by it.
Mmmmmmm…
I wish I didn’t leave my car at my friend’s house the other night so I could go an get Panera. I’m sick and craving soup.