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REVIEW: Panera an old favorite that doesn’t disappoint

By LaDawn Edwards

Several years ago, when Kirkwood had reached the part of the semester when every faculty member was buried in grading papers, a huge cherry kringle appeared one morning In the English department break room. The sight of it was so cheerful, and the gesture so generous that I wanted to know who to thank for the unexpected treat. I asked a passing senior faculty member if she had made this dessert, and she whispered conspiratorially, “It’s from Panera — the working woman’s kitchen.”

Well, hallelujah for Panera, which offers breakfast, great sandwiches and fresh salads for lunch, as well as desserts and catering at the same level of quality I aspire to when I actually have time to make it myself. Their orange juice is freshly squeezed, specialty coffee drinks come with real whipped cream, and I can get an apple or bit of French bread with my sandwich instead of chips. (I usually get the apple, because it’s like a little present for later, but the baked Lays are a special indulgence.) I love the variety of tasty things and the seasonal items so there’s always something new.

I had to review this favorite restaurant at breakfast, because my favorite item at Panera (except for the buttery rectangles of shortbread and the dreamy indulgence known as cream of chicken and wild rice in a bread bowl) is only available then — four cheese soufflé. Even though some local Paneras have doubled their daily output, you still have to get there before 10 a.m. if you want bacon. On a recent Sunday my watch read 9:55 a.m. as I drew to the front of the line, anxiously eyeing the four circles of egg-filled puff pastry that perched atop a warming tray in the bakery case. Not close enough to read the signs, I instinctively felt that the row with one remaining was my cheese soufflé. I kept my fingers crossed and was relieved to see the lady I spoke to pluck it from the case, calling “There’s just the spinach bacon left. When’s the next batch of soufflés coming out?”

A baker called from the back, “No, that’s it.” I didn’t need to see the disappointed faces of the folks in line just behind me, since I’d been in those shoes myself. Trying not to reveal my early-bird-gets-the-worm glee, I added a bear claw and small OJ to my tray and settled in to fully enjoy the heaven on a platter that $8 buys at Panera. I always grab a real knife from the coffee station, so I can slice my soufflé into four steaming wedged. The round paper tray that holds it has a special something that helps the puff pastry brown evenly from the four points laid across its  top to the just-thick-enough bottom. While I’ve never asked which four cheeses made these eggs so creamy and elegant, I can promise that none of them was American.

A brief sip of OJ assured me that this was the real thing — squeezed from ripe fruit on a properly-maintained juicer, with pulp enough to remind you why it costs a little more to get the best. The bear claw was a special indulgence, but the soufflé alone doesn’t quite fill me up. Imagine a sweet pastry stuffed with ground almonds and drizzled with glaze and slivered almonds. It’s sweet, but stops short of the sugar rush that makes me feel like I had candy for breakfast.

I’ll mention one more item that you’ll want to try when you want some comfort food: Vermont white cheddar macaroni and cheese. While I did not taste it on my review trip, I mentioned how much I liked it to the lady taking my order. She shared my enthusiasm, adding that when she and her coworkers had sampled it in espresso cups at a store meeting they trotted back up to their boss á la Oliver Twist, holding up their tiny containers and saying “Please, sir, may I have some more?” It’s just that good.

Panera locations include 2665 Edgewood Parkway SW and 5010 Council Street NE in Cedar Rapids, as well as Coral Ridge Mall in Coralville and the Sycamore Mall in Iowa City.