The Money Mustache Community
General Discussion => Share Your Badassity => Topic started by: hybrid on March 30, 2014, 10:24:16 AM
-
But not enough to waste $8 on them! My son is lifeguarding at a nearby indoor pool, it's the only one of its kind in Richmond so all the off-season meets are held there. Whenever there is a meet they bring food, and whenever the meet is done there are typically leftovers that need to find a home or they'll just get tossed. Our son, being the frugal type himself, brought home eight sandwiches plus cookies this weekend. And not for the first time.
I love when they have a meet...
-
Aren't they great?
I have to admit, I sometimes redeem my credit card rewards for Panera gift cards. It's my special treat on laundry day. I don't own a washer or dryer, so I haul everything to the Laundromat every two weeks.
The Panera sandwich helps get me through it.
-
Me too! I just bought a grill pan off Craigslist and I have been making my own at home for cheaper. Now if only I can master Panera's cookie baking skills.
-
IDSO: panera pumpkin muffies recipe. No panera where we currently live! :(
-
Is it odd that we have a Panera in town and I've never eaten there? I think we went in one time, looked at the menu and decided the prices were too high (to risk it) and walked out.
That's not to say that I've never tasted any of their food. Years ago (after we had already decided they were too pricey), one of DS's friends worked there. They were allowed to take home the bakery items that were going to be thrown out. A couple of times she brought us a box with a couple of muffins, cookies, etc. But I've never had one of their sandwiches.
-
Is it odd that we have a Panera in town and I've never eaten there? I think we went in one time, looked at the menu and decided the prices were too high (to risk it) and walked out.
Go try their half sandwich and soup (I recommend the broccoli cheddar), and (if you're a bread person) get an extra piece of bread instead of the chips, or get an apple if you're not.
-
Panera is another good example of a place I used to like, but has gone up in price and down in quality as they expanded. Add it to Au Bon Pain, Cosi, and La Boulange. These chains typically start off as a single store that makes really good food, which expands into a few local stores that maintain quality. Then they decide to go national and bring in a franchise consultant or whatever and suddenly they are shipping frozen dough across the state instead of making it that morning in the store, weighing the meat before they put it on your sandwich, etc.
-
Never eaten there. My gf used to go there for "free" wifi (before she had a hot-spot).
Sometimes we get leftover sandwiches (or pizza) at work when they have sales meetings and such at our site. There are enough of us vultures that the extra food is usually gone within a half hour.
-
Me too! I just bought a grill pan off Craigslist and I have been making my own at home for cheaper. Now if only I can master Panera's cookie baking skills.
Which one do you like? I have a recipe that's a dead ringer for their shortbreads.
Well, I just make up my own panini recipes. Last night after reading this thread I made the family some using cheddar, bacon, tomato, baby spinach, and chipotle sauce. What's your recipe?
-
I'll file this under Chipotle: don't understand what the big deal is.
But, hey, free sandwiches. Awesome!
-
I'll file this under Chipotle: don't understand what the big deal is.
But, hey, free sandwiches. Awesome!
I use Panera if I am traveling by car and have run out of the food I brought with me. The last time I ate there--at an Ohio rest stop--the salad was a few limp pieces of nearly white lettuce sprinkled with tasteless-yet-salty cheese. It was bad.
I, too, will file this under Don't Understand What the Big Deal Is.
-
I'll file this under Chipotle: don't understand what the big deal is.
But, hey, free sandwiches. Awesome!
I use Panera if I am traveling by car and have run out of the food I brought with me. The last time I ate there--at an Ohio rest stop--the salad was a few limp pieces of nearly white lettuce sprinkled with tasteless-yet-salty cheese. It was bad.
I, too, will file this under Don't Understand What the Big Deal Is.
I like the Mediterranean sandwich. But not enough to buy it for myself. (My former firm brought Panera in for lunch meetings sometimes.)
-
I will eat there fairly frequently when I travel for work.
I am not on per-diem, I have to turn in receipts - and they won't reimburse tips.
So, Panera is one of the nicer/more reliable "no tipping" places I can pick. And I like their coffee*. Breakfast is typically "Bacon, egg and cheese on a whole-grain bagel. Add spinach. And a large coffee" - I typically finish most of the coffee by the time I finish the breakfast, and top off with decaf.
I agree that sometimes the salads suck. But it's a place named Panera Bread, not Panera Salads - so I don't hold it toooo much against them.
*And I don't have to deal with telling a "barista" how to do it. I just pull the tap myself, put in how much milk/cream/cinnamon I want, refill myself, etc.
-
I'll file this under Chipotle: don't understand what the big deal is.
But, hey, free sandwiches. Awesome!
I love Chipotle. My wife loves Panera. We each think the other one is good, but not great.
I wouldn't call either one a "big deal," but they're definitely both enjoyable. I'd probably put both in my top 5 for "$8 or less fast food" meals. Definitely if I'm taking health into account.
-
I like Panera, but never enough to voluntarily walk in and buy their food. I do like Chipotle and Qdoba, and Qdoba occasionally offers 2 for 1s I'll gladly take advantage of. The missus loves Chipotle so I figured out how to make a really tasty burrito bowl at home that compares favorably. Not quite as good as Chipotle, but 1/3 of the cost and we don't have to drive.
The not as good as Chipotle, but pretty damn good, Burrito Bowl
Ingredients:
One tablespoon olive oil
1/3 to a 1/4 of a vidalia or yellow sweet onion, minced
One jalapeno, minced (a larger jalapeno if you prefer more heat, and I do)
One pound lean ground beef
One package of Goya red beans and rice
2 1/2 cups water
Two tablespoons butter
Mrs Renfros Jalapeno green salsa
Pepper jack cheese, chredded
Sour cream
Cilantro
In a large pan that can be covered, heat up the oil as you mince the onion and jalapeno
Cook the onion and jalapeno for five minutes over medium heat
Add the ground beef and brown partway, do not brown completely
Add the water, Goya red beans and rice, and butter just like you were preparing the Goya red beans and rice by itself (the package calls for the water and butter, double-check the amounts, I'm posting from memory)
Simmer until all the water has been absorbed, about 25 minutes.
Spoon into bowls and add green salsa (not optional, do not sub another red salsa, it doesn't work), pepper jack cheese, sour cream, and cilantro to taste.
This has been a hit every time I've made it for company.
You could probably sub chicken if preferred or eat vegetarian, I simply haven't tried either.
-
Is it odd that we have a Panera in town and I've never eaten there? I think we went in one time, looked at the menu and decided the prices were too high (to risk it) and walked out.
Go try their half sandwich and soup (I recommend the broccoli cheddar), and (if you're a bread person) get an extra piece of bread instead of the chips, or get an apple if you're not.
I have a hard time spending $8 (a price someone posted earlier) for a sandwich. I'd much rather get a yummy chimichanga down the street for that price. That's something that I haven't yet learned to make myself.
-
I like Panera, but never enough to voluntarily walk in and buy their food. I do like Chipotle and Qdoba, and Qdoba occasionally offers 2 for 1s I'll gladly take advantage of. The missus loves Chipotle so I figured out how to make a really tasty burrito bowl at home that compares favorably. Not quite as good as Chipotle, but 1/3 of the cost and we don't have to drive.
The not as good as Chipotle, but pretty damn good, Burrito Bowl
Ingredients:
One tablespoon olive oil
1/3 to a 1/4 of a vidalia or yellow sweet onion, minced
One jalapeno, minced (a larger jalapeno if you prefer more heat, and I do)
One pound lean ground beef
One package of Goya red beans and rice
2 1/2 cups water
Two tablespoons butter
Mrs Renfros Jalapeno green salsa
Pepper jack cheese, chredded
Sour cream
Cilantro
In a large pan that can be covered, heat up the oil as you mince the onion and jalapeno
Cook the onion and jalapeno for five minutes over medium heat
Add the ground beef and brown partway, do not brown completely
Add the water, Goya red beans and rice, and butter just like you were preparing the Goya red beans and rice by itself (the package calls for the water and butter, double-check the amounts, I'm posting from memory)
Simmer until all the water has been absorbed, about 25 minutes.
Spoon into bowls and add green salsa (not optional, do not sub another red salsa, it doesn't work), pepper jack cheese, sour cream, and cilantro to taste.
This has been a hit every time I've made it for company.
You could probably sub chicken if preferred or eat vegetarian, I simply haven't tried either.
Copied that! will make next week! Thanks!
I too like Panera half sandwich /cup of soup. I just get the Tuna and Chicken Noodle soup with the chunk of bread. Pic 2. As Arebspy said for under 8$ probably at least healthier/better choice. You can spend that easily at any other FF place and feel like shit afterwards.
On a side note I was laughing at Subways new commericals for there new invention basically pizzas. Basically 2 slices of nothing for 5$. Its no wonder why places like Sbarro filed for Bankruptcy protection and Quizno's is on the blocks. I think we will see alot more of this just to many franchise type places out there. I also like Noodles. But shit could make it for a 1.50$ at home. I hate spending money at those places but once in awhile its tough to avoid
-
On a side note I was laughing at Subways new commericals for there new invention basically pizzas. Basically 2 slices of nothing for 5$. Its no wonder why places like Sbarro filed for Bankruptcy protection and Quizno's is on the blocks. I think we will see alot more of this just to many franchise type places out there. I also like Noodles. But shit could make it for a 1.50$ at home. I hate spending money at those places but once in awhile its tough to avoid
The "flatizza" (even autocorrect recognizes it as just "flat pizza" ;) resembles something my teenage self might have concocted while playing around with my family's toaster oven. In fact, I'd guess that's more or less how they came up with it. "Hey, we spent all this money on sandwich tosting equipment, what else can we do with it?" Sad thing is that some "food researcher" probably got paid big bucks doing it.
-
I'll file this under Chipotle: don't understand what the big deal is.
But, hey, free sandwiches. Awesome!
I love Chipotle. My wife loves Panera. We each think the other one is good, but not great.
I wouldn't call either one a "big deal," but they're definitely both enjoyable. I'd probably put both in my top 5 for "$8 or less fast food" meals. Definitely if I'm taking health into account.
I do like Chipotle. If I am going to have fast food, that is high on my list of choices.
-
We like both chipotle and panera. But the key is they aren't a substitute for eating a normal meal at home. They are good in certain situations where your other choice is basically mcdonalds or a gas station, or when you are consciously choosing to eat a meal out.
Sure it's a great idea to always pack food along with you but 1. It is fucking exhausting sometimes, and 2. Sometimes on a longer trip I miscalculate how much we will eat and we run out of packed food.
Also sometimes we decide to eat out just to not have to cook, and we chooses panera/chipotle/etc as a cheaper alternative to a sit down restaurant.
-
Try visiting Panera Bread at night when they close. They actually throw away a LOT of bread because they try to serve fresh all the time. Say "if you're going to throw that away, I'll take it." I've done this for entire loaves of bread and full bags of doughnuts from Dunkin' Donuts.
Pop the bread into your oven at home, make paninis, and enjoy.
-
Panera aka St. Louis Bread Company