Sandwiches in Review: Panera Bread Turkey Artichoke Panini

Panera Bread is a chain of bakeries and cafes which sell bread, pastries and other baked goods, as well as prepared sandwiches, soups, salads and other restaurant faire.  It’s comparatively expensive, but uses high quality ingredients and thoughtful preparation which puts it above fast food.  For my first review, I decided on a panini.

Not this exact panini per se, but one very similar.

My selection, the Turkey Artichoke Panini, was delicious.  The turkey itself was decent, deli sliced but a generous amount, but the other elements were really the stars of the show.  The carmelized onions, artichoke spread, and Asiago-Parmesan cheese converged into a full, flavorful taste.  The sun-dried tomatoes were alright (in my opinion, sun-dried tomatoes are one of the most overrated sandwich ingredients), and the foccacia it was served on was tasty and large.  The sandwich was also served with Panera brand chips, which were pretty good as well.

The only downside of this sandwich was that it cost $7.09, and didn’t include a drink.  It was among the more expensive sandwiches on the menu, but even the cheaper ones ran for around $6.50 and up.  A full meal at Panera would probably cost around $10.  I’d definitely recommend this sandwich from a taste perspective, but from a cost standpoint it’s a bit overpriced.