OMG I just had the best dinner!
Recognize this place?
This should help…
If you guessed Panera, you’d be…RIGHT! 
So it turns out that, similar to unabashedly professing your love for Greek Yogurt, shouting your love from the rooftops for Panera works too! 
Since I’ve made it clear that I love Panera so much, John, the Marketing & PR Manager from Panera Iowa, asked if I wanted to get together and try some of the restaurant’s new Fall offerings. Of course I said: YES AND HOW SOON CAN WE MAKE THIS HAPPEN?!
He replied: AS SOON AS YOU’D LIKE AND BRING WHOEVER YOU WANT! So I did! The rents. Ben was invited too, but he had to work late. Psshht.
FYI, Panera has 5 themed “celebrations” each year – one for each season and an additional one for the Holidays. Right now the Fall celebration theme is Reconnect with the Comforts of Fall.
The company introduces new products, or brings back old favorites, for each celebration and John generously hooked us up with all the goodies that were in the Fall celebration release! Including the hand-shaped, vanilla, honey and brown sugar flavored Pink Ribbon Bagel studded with cherries & cranberries!
These babies ROCK, and not just because $.25 of each Pink Ribbon Bagel sale during the month of October goes to the Susan G Komen foundation. I went a bit bananas for them at the Walk for the Cure event I attended last year, and for good reason. They are mouth-watering. Even if you don’t like dried fruit, I bet you’d love these. Sweet and chewy. GET ONE!
Reconnecting with the comforts of Fall also means reconnecting with one of my favorite sandwiches at Panera – Bacon Turkey Bravo.
Salty bacon, creamy cheese, and that Tomato Basil Bread! I’ve never tasted a more flavorful crust!
John told us that he took a loaf of it home last Christmas and his Mom and sister demolished an entire loaf in a day and a half. I believe it. YUM.
Another one of Panera’s old favorites returning this season is the Orchard Harvest Chicken Salad.
Seasoned chicken, lettuce, dried cherries, fresh pears, Gorgonzola cheese, toasted pecans & cherry balsamic vinaigrette. (shhh don’t tell but we asked for a second helping of this salad to take home! The balsamic vine is to die!)
John busted out another old favorite for dessert, a Cranberry Orange Muffin. Tasted homemade and we will DEF get again. ‘Nuff said!
We thought we were done there. We were wrong. We were oh-so wrong!
John brought out the big guns next…Panera’s Signature Mac & Cheese.
I’ve always avoided their Mac & Cheese because the calorie count seemed too high (btw Panera now posts calorie counts for all their items right on the order menu!) but tonight I was feeling a bit randy, so I went for it! Insanity.
I think my Mom said it best when she proclaimed “You would never know that this wasn’t made in someone’s kitchen at home!” It was Mom’s finest! Cheesy, thick and DECADENT. A must try (even if you just split it with someone!)
We were umm…stuffed at this point…so John offered to send us home with halvsies of their new Mango Smoothies.
Panera’s smoothies are made with all natural Stonyfield Yogurt, ice and fruit puree. That’s it!
SO glad he didn’t give us a whole one each because we totally would have finished an entire one if we had the option! Super tropical and clean tasting.
Now, AS IF John hadn’t outdone himself already, he sent us all home with a nice little seasonal care package!
Panera’s traditional Iced Pumpkin Shortbread Cookie, their new M&M Studded (just wrote stuffed!) Sugar Cookie,
and some Strawberries & Cream Scones!
Like I said – OMG I just had the best dinner!
Honestly, I’ve loved everything I’ve ever tried at Panera, and tonight was no exception. We all commented on the fact that everything, per usual, tasted so fresh and homemade. Even though we ate a ton of food, it was all surprisingly light!
Ok, except for the Mac & Cheese. That’s rib stickin’ food!
Thanks to John and Panera Iowa for an exceptional meal – and great conversation. Love nice people.
Time to go army crawl my way to the couch for the night. My last day of the week is tomorrow – wheeeee!
oh ps: I charged John with finding out whatever happened to Panera’s Potato Cream Cheese soup that I used to get, legit, 4 days a week in high school. BEST SOUP EVER!
Goodnight!
~~~~~
What’s your favorite item from Panera?
The Cinnamon Crunch Bagel seriously warms my soul and, in fact, I got one for breakfast tomorrow! 
That is SO amazing! I love Panera! I love everything, but really love the asiago cheese bagels.
OMG girl you are so lucky!!! Panera is one of my favorite places to grab a fantastic lunch. I just was there the other day and got the Orchard Salad and one of those Pink Ribbon Bagels. I actually took the last bagel and immediately wanted to go back and have them make me a dozen. THey are so amazing!!
This seems like my dream night!
Yum! I love Panera! I don’t get to it too often because the closest one is 30-40 minutes away
. But I love their iced green tea – delicious! I also love the frontega chicken panini and the tomato & mozzarella panini as well!
The iced green tea is the best. I wish they would bottle that stuff and sell it by the gallon.
My favorite is the Mediterranean Veggie Cafe Sandwich… YUM
The first time I experienced Panera was in Missouri, visiting Jason’s parents… and wanted to go there each time we’d be in MO.
We have one HERE now, *SQUEE*
I love those ribbon bagels… I’ve never had the mac & cheese, but OH MY it looks GOOD!
I used to be loyal to the Sierra Turkey sandwich… I love the asiago bread!
But I’m now a big fan of the strawberry poppyseed salad. I love all of the fruit in it and the dressing is fab.
And to wash it down, the honeydew green tea. YUM!
P.S. I had no idea Panera had mac & cheese… is that available everywhere? Clearly I need to head over there asap and check things out
I actually had a really bad experience at Panera last week. An employee was totally rude to me. It made me really sad because I love eating there; but I’m the kind of person who’s really sensitive to that stuff. My cookie was not nearly as good when it was practically hurled at my face.
Hi Kristin….
I have been following your blog for about a year and LOVE all of your delish recipes & cherish that you are so healthy but don’t deny your sweet tooth!
I had to comment on your Panera dinner tonight. John recently donated those YUMMY Pink Ribbon bagels at a 5k in Cedar Falls…for 570 racers…no small donation there! He has such a HUGE heart, as does Panera, so wanted to give him another shout-out for helping raise $26,000 for folks fighting breast cancer in the Cedar Valley. Love ya, John…& thanks for being a bright spot each day for me, Kristin!!
Because they are soooo good & also support such a great cause, the Pink Ribbon bagels have to be my favorite Panera treat….but the Fuji Apple Chicken salad is a close second the other 11 months of the year!
Stephanie B in Cedar Falls
I second the “you are so lucky”!! I love Panera, and that spread looked amazing. I’m sad I have not tried any of those items! I will have to make amends, but it’s because I always order my favorite: pick two w/ the tomato & mozzarella panini & the broccoli cheddar soup w/ a roll for dunking in the soup.
Oh, and my local Panera thanks you for the trip I will now be making tomorrow.
Panera mac and cheese is soooooooo good!
I love the breakfast sandwiches (I get just egg, nothing else!), the strawberry poppyseed salad (I get it without chicken), I love their Greek dressing too! My boyfriend likes the Cuban sandwich. I’ve never really had much there that I didn’t like!!!
Not only delicious – Panera donates their unsold bread to a different charity every night! Our MOPS groups receives the bounty a couple of times a month and we call church members in need to come get whatever they want. It is a blessing!
BTW – I had a pink ribbon bagel for breakfast today.
I loveeeeee Panera! Everything is delish! I love the chicken on their salads and their balsamic dressing- amazing! I’m so jealous of everything you ate!
You DID just have the best dinner ever! Holy smokes!
I don’t think I’ve ever left Panera disappointed, but that looked amazing!
Broccoli cheddar soup in a sourdough bread bowl!
…also, HOW would I go about getting John’s job?!
Panera (or St. Louis Bread Company as it is called here) is SO GOOD. I love the new Orchard salad, but sadly lots of their dressings are made with HFCS. I’ve gone through so many phases of what I order there between the sandwiches, soups, and salads. It’s all delicious!
Cool to know they use Stoneyfield in their smoothies!
i love their grilled chicken caesar salad and asiago cheese bagels!
Just had their black bean soup paired with BBQ chopped salad over the weekend with my sister in CF. TO DIE FOR. As far as bagels, the cinnamon crunch seems to be a fav at work.
oh my – everythinfg looks wonderful!!! Now we just need to get a Panera in Australia!
Panera is my favorite lunch spot. Their chicken noodle soup is my favorite soup ever (my efforts to recreate it have been mediocre at best), and I love their whole grain bagels.
Maybe while you’re asking about the disappearance of the potato cream cheese soup you can find out about the pumpkin spice bagels. They used to be featured in the fall (I think I had them 2001-2005), but it has been several years since I have seen them. They were AMAZING.
I won a free supply of Panera bread from a 5k race. I use it each month to get that bread….You have to use it for your panini’s. It is a favorite of ours every month!
And the cinnamon crunch bagel…I always get one of those when I pick up the bread
Talk about a Panera fiesta! Dang! I’m quite jealous of the eateries in your area. Time for me to move!
I only get to a Panera every few years, so I don’t really have a favorite item. I’ve only tried it a handful of times, and always had something different. Everything is amazing, plain and simple.
What an awesome treat!! I love so many of their items, but I always find myself ordering the veggie sandwich again and again!
ohhh, i love panera!!!
those pink ribbon bagels are sooo freakin’ delicous!
some of my favorite things from panera are the tomato mozzerella panini, the greek salad and the spinach artichoke egg souffle…yummm!
Is it a good or a bad sign that I knew where you were by the first picture with only the back of the booth in view?!
I LOVE the chicken wild rice soup with the crusty bread. I never try anything else.
Ohhh, Kristin. Do I have a link for you. I too loved Panera’s Potato Cream Cheese Soup, and this recipe really nails it, if you ask me. I use a lot less cream cheese than it calls for, however, and usually lite cream cheese at that. Top with a little crumbled bacon, scallions and some shredded cheddar – oh so good!
http://www.food.com/recipe/Paneras-Cream-Cheese-Potato-Soup-150863
I LOVE their asiago cheese bagels. Panera was the first job I ever held when I was 15! Such a great place to work – I loved (and hated!) going home with some goodies at night. YUM.
AHH my dream come true!! I love Panera! Favorites definitely include the cinnamon crunch bagel with hazelnut cream cheese. I also really love the fuji apple chicken salad and their bread bowls!!
Hello – bread bowls!
Oh my gosh, lucky, lucky you! I love Panera Bread! We don’t have any in AZ, but when I travel to CA on business, I eat there ALL the time. My favorite thing there is the Mediterrean Veggie Sandwich. SO good.
Their french toast bagels… oh my gosh.
Hey Kristin!
broccoli and cheese all the way for best item.
I have been reading your blog for a while & finally am commenting because I just started my own blog too.
I also live in the lovely state of iowa! (iowa city.)
anyway, your dinner looks AWESOME. i do love panera but haven’t had it in forever.
im a huge fan of the soup in a bread bowl of course. all of their bread is amazing.
- Sharelle
i always get black bean soup(so good!)and smoke house turkey panini without bacon…panera’s the best. sidebar: mine is on the other side of trader joe’s parking lot…lol, you need to come to new jersey!
I worked at Panera for a year and a half, and ate it almost every day and yet…I still can’t get enough! I’m obsessed.
P.S. Pretty sure the mango smoothie doesn’t include yogurt :] The one I worked at just included the mango puree + ice. The strawberry smoothie, though, that one has the SF in it.
I live outside of the U.S. now so no Panera for me, whcih is too bad because it is the restaurant I miss the most. Panera is one of the first– sometimes THE very first thngs I eat when I come home for a visit. Love their honey wheat bread (I have tried to replicate it in my own kitchen– miserable FAIL!) as well as their broccoli cheddar soup and the chipotle chicken sandwich.
Love pink ribbon bagels…love the cinnamon crunch…I usually get the whole grain bagel with the honey nut cream cheese. YUM!
I am obsessed with Panera. The hubby and I used to go there every Sunday morning for breakfast. I adore their Hazelnut coffee and whole grain bagels. We even knew all of the staff by name! We don’t make it there as much anymore, but I did make my way there yesterday for lunch. Their vegetable soup rocks my socks!
I LOVE the Turkey Spinach/Artichoke Dip Sandwich. RIDICULOUS!
That is insanely cool you got to do this! Panera is definitely one of my favorite places to eat around campus! I usually get half a turkey sandwich and some soup, but now I want to try all this stuff. Especially that ribbon bagel!!
i LOVE panera! yum! i love their bagels and their chicken wild rice soup.
and the summer salad with fruit & poppyseed dressing. is it just me or do all their salads have meat in them now? i didn’t think that summer salad did before this summer…
YUM! I love Panera but wish they weren’t so expensive. I love the Cinnamon Crunch Bagel too; I think I die and go to heaven for a bit every single time that I eat it.
OMG. I used to LOVE the Potato Cream Cheese soup! My mom even tried to recreate it when they dropped it from their menu. So sad. I don’t think I could pick just one favorite… everything is too good.
oh – oh – I can’t believe it – you are soo lucky! Panera – Panera – I love Panera – everything – we love everything at Panera – there is no fave – I think because we only see our daughter at college once a month – and Panera is almost always our choice for lunch when we’re there.
Still trying to build the courage to walk thru alone….to the gym and beyond!
Ok – so after reading your blog for MONTHS – I took the chance and walked thru the “hood” last night – bringing my son with me of course
LOVE ME some Panera! Love the cinnamon crunch bagel for breakie. Their new breakfast sandwiches are awesome too. The Bacon Turkey Bravo is far and away my fav sandwich there. I love that they post the calories and nutrition info now too. Helps to make an informed decision.
I will admit that I am a mac n’ cheese connoisseur and theirs definitely stacks up to the best of ‘em!
Chiming in on the jealousy here! I try to keep eating at chains to a minimum, but Panera is one place where I can reliably get a tasty, healthy meal.
My go-to Panera order: “You Pick Two” with a smoked turkey sandwich (on whole grain instead of white, hold the mayo) and either the black bean soup or the vegetable soup with pesto.
Splurge order: Swapping the plain turkey sandwich for the Bacon Turkey Bravo. (Teh Husband gets the BTB but orders it on asiago focaccia instead of the tomato basil bread.) A Greek salad instead of the soup.
Items I want to try: That Orchard Harvest salad looks pretty yummy!
Items Panera used to offer that I miss dearly: The fandango salad (greens with mandarin oranges, walnuts, gorgonzola, and raspberry vinaigrette—the beginning of my love affair with gorgonzola/blue cheese and with salads composed of greens + fruit + nuts + tangy cheese + vinaigrette). Lentil soup. Couldja put a bug in someone’s ear about those?
Items I used to love but can no longer bring myself to order: Any of the bagels. Strictly in terms of calories, I could have a bagel, use just half of the cream cheese, and come out on par with my usual breakfast. But it wouldn’t have as much fiber or protein, or other vitamins. I might splurge when the cranberry walnut bagels return, though…
I’ll have to say that the food was as good as it looks in these pictures and John had to be one of the nicest people I’ve ever met! The Mac n’ cheese rivals my own recipe!!!
Ditto on the cinnamon crunch bagel. That’s dessert for breakfast!
I’m so so jealous of your dinner! We don’t have Panera in NYC and I haven’t eaten at one in 3 years! I used to love the cinnamon crunch bagel too and I remember they had awesome cream cheese spreads. I think they used to have a chinese chicken salad that I loved with mandarin oranges. I wish we had Panera.
I love LOVE their cinnamon crunch bagel as well as their soup….my mouth is watering just thinking about it…