Panera Bread has been opening locations around metro Milwaukee, but it's taken a while for a downtown location to appear, which seems curious considering the relative paucity of options for downtown workers, residents, students and others.
Panera's new location at 600 E. Ogden Ave. is sort of paired with the area's first Chipotle burrito restaurant, and as such will likely be a good draw. While the bakery and soup and sandwich shop isn't rewriting the rules, a welcoming, if generic, atmosphere and a range of good lunch options will likely guarantee success downtown.
The spacious restaurant has a variety of "locations," with a mix of tables -- rectangular two-tops, round tables perfect for groups and a few cushioney armchairs for lone coffee-sippers -- scattered over carpeted areas, hardwood floors and a main tiled area. Classical music wafts from the speakers.
On the menu there are five "cafe sandwiches" -- including chicken salad, peanut butter and jelly, etc. -- seven "signature sandwiches" -- like asiago roast beef, Mediterranean veggie and bacon turkey -- and a trio of hot panini. Five salads are also offered, from the classics (caesar, greek), to the Fandango, with walnuts, oranges, gorgonzola and raspberry dressing.
I chose a Frontego Chicken panino with white meat chicken, mozzarella, red onion slices, tomato, basil and Chipotle mayonaisse on a grilled onion and rosemary focaccia. Warm and delicious, the panino was a little slim on the chicken, but that was a small gripe as the sandwich was filling and satisfying.
{INSERT_RELATED}On the early side of the lunch rush, the service was prompt and my sandwich delivered with astonishing speed. In fact, as customers began to arrive, there was an army of employees at their posts awaiting them.
The soup is much talked-about and there are five varieties available at all times on a rotating schedule, with some seasonal soups tossed into the mix. Similarly, the Panera bakery is a highlight with a dazzling array of bagels and specialty breads, alongside muffins, cookies and other treats. A couple varieties of bread are displayed alongside a bottle of oil on a table as samples of some of the more unusual flavors.
A bank of coffee urns is looming evidence that caffeine junkies are welcome, too. In addition to brewed coffees, there are espresso beverages, frozen drinks as well as soda, water, juice, milk, etc.
The Panera menu points out some of the company's community involvement, including collecting and matching donations to local hunger relief groups and the daily donation of unsold breads to area food pantries. Bravo.
Panera Bread is located at 600 E. Ogden Ave. Call them at (414) 224-0200. Fax your order to (414) 224-0730. There are also locations in Menomonee Falls, Mequon, Brookfield, Mayfair Mall, Greenfield, Pewaukee and Kenosha. A Racine location is due to open before year's end.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
