Be careful what you wish for

Jim and Nancy do not disclose the fact that they will review a restaurant before they attend, ensuring their reviews are unbiased and uninfluenced by their position with the Sun Day.

For years, and years, and even more years, Panera Bread has teased us with a location supposedly opening in the famed restaurant row on Route 47 in Huntley. The paint on the sign announcing this new location is rapidly fading, but our hopes have not. We just could not wait any longer, the suspense was killing us. If Panera Bread will not come to us, the Dining Duo will go to Panera Bread, and that’s just what we did. We jumped into the Mini-Mobile and headed out to the Panera Bread in Algonquin.

The inside is like a typical fast-food place with lots of booths and small tables. There is a serve yourself soft drink counter for endless refills, and you must clean up after yourself. There is a station for the disposal of used utensils, plates and garbage.

We noticed on the menu they had a “Pick 2” feature where you get to pick two entrees and one side (apple, potato chips, or bread). Looking at the menu on the wall, we were confused since no price was given for this combination. We assumed it was all the same price, whatever that was, and decided to give it a try.

Nancy decided to try their Bistro French Onion Soup, which was supposed to be sweet caramelized onions in a savory broth with a sherry wine vinegar gastrique, sea salt, topped with cheese and focaccia croutons. For her second choice she chose the Chipotle Chicken and Bacon Flatbread Pizza, which was smoked pulled chicken, chopped Applewood smoked bacon, grape tomatoes, fontina and mozzarella cheese with garlic cream sauce on flatbread. What arrived was a small bowl of barely lukewarm soup with a few shreds of cheese on top. The pizza was a room temperature slab of doughy bread topped with minute shreds of anemic looking chicken with just a hint of cheese, all drenched in a vinegar tasting Chipotle sauce. If that was Applewood bacon on top and smoked pulled chicken, you could have fooled me. I couldn’t even taste the few bits of bacon and chicken that was on the pizza.

Jim tried the “Pick 2” also and went with the Homestyle Chicken Noodle Soup. The menu said it was tender pieces of white meat chicken, simmered in a chicken broth with egg noodles, carrots, and celery. His second choice was the Toasted Steak and White Cheddar Sandwich. This was grass fed beef, white cheddar, pickled red onions, and horseradish sauce served on Artisan ciabatta. When I looked at his plate, I thought he picked up the wrong order. The half sandwich was maybe four inches long with sliced beef that was ice cold between warm, crusty ciabatta bread. The cheese was not melted and the sandwich was soaked with horseradish sauce. His soup was also lukewarm with a couple of noodles and some chicken, but mainly broth. There is nothing like a tepid bowl of soup and cold sliced beef to warm you up on a frigid day.

We ate as much of our lunch as we could get down. Nancy left three quarters of her flatbread pizza, she said it was not worth the calorie intake, and she was still hungry from lunch. We realized when we finished our lunch that we never got a receipt for our scrumptious meal. So, we checked online and here is what we were charged.

Nancy’s Total: $14.48
Onion Soup: $4.79 (for a small cup)
Flatbread Pizza: $9.69

Jim’s Total: $12.48
Chicken Soup: $4.79
Half Toasted Steak Sandwich: $7.69 (Steak, really???)

Grand Total with one soft drink was $32.45, giving them the award for the worst lunch ever (in our opinion), priceless…

FYI: This restaurant is handicap accessible.

NOTE TO PANERA BREAD: After having lunch today, you can take all the time you want coming to Huntley!!!

Jim’s take: I didn’t realize cold sliced roast beef is considered a steak.

Nancy’s take: I honestly can say that we have not had Panera Bread in over 20 years, and it will be another 20 years before we go back.

Have comments or restaurant suggestions for the Dining Duo? Send them an email at: thediningduo@gmail.com

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