Panda Express

We had a fairly nice fast-food, pseudo-Chinese dinner at Panda Express on a recent Saturday Evening. It is what it is, decent food for a fair price. Certainly not authentic Chinese, certainly not gourmet, but decent. I've learned that the best time to visit is when they are busy--that is, if you want fresh food and a good selection. Late at night or during off times, the food sits for too long. But if you get there at a busy time you can have OK food. I had the Chicken and Beans and they were indeed fresh, and the Orange Chicken, which is good comfort food, a bit too sweet and bland, but comfort food nonetheless. The lo mein (noodles) I had were a bit undercooked, but a bit of soy and some mustard (not very hot) fixed that. All in all, an OK meal for inexpensive fast food.

Five Guys Burgers and Fries

I've been dying to try Five Guys Burgers and Fries and finally got my chance recently. I liked it! But first a word of warning: a regular order of fries will easily fill two people, if not three. Order a large fries at your own risk!

I ordered the Cheeseburger "all the way." Well, as you can see in the picture, it was quite a lot to handle--almost too much to handle. First off, there were two delicious patties of beef and two slices of cheese. The patties were rather thin, proabably 1/8 to 1/10 pound apiece, and so cooked well done, but they were still plenty juicy and not overcooked--with a nice beefly flavor. "All the way" means it was topped with lettuce, tomato, mayo, grilled onions, grilled mushrooms, pickles,ketchup, and mustard--quite a lot to handle--and it was! It may look a bit rumpled in the picture, but that's because I ordered "to go" and walked about a half mile with it before I could partake. But it was yumm-yumm delicious. I think next time I'd order a single patty with cheese and just a few select toppings, this one was a bit much to eat, but oh, so satisfying.

The fries deserve great mention too. These fries are better than McDonald's by a long way. Maybe close to the best fries I've ever had. And the portions are huge. They were nicely fried, thick, skin-on, and lightly salted. Cooked to perfection and not at all greasy.

I thoroughly enjoyed my food from Five Guys, and will for sure to be back the next time I have a hankerin' for a good, plain ole hamburger. I sure hope we get one of these in Lake Mary soon--we could sure use a good burger place here!

Lake Mary's Food Truck Crave

OK, i just found out about this event. But on the last Sunday of the month, there is a Food Truck event in Lake Mary, the Lake Mary Food Truck Crave! It runs from 1-4 PM at Central Park, by the Lake Mary City Hall. Now that I know about this event, you know that I'll be there for the next one, on Sunday, February 26th. Won't you join me?

Bistro Babe's Cafe

There were so many great sounding menu items at the various food trucks at the Sanford Food Truck Bazaar, organized by The Daily City, that it was hard to decide what to eat, and what to eat next. But when we saw the Jamaican Me Jerk Shrimp at the Bistro Babes Cafe Food Truck, we could not resist--and it was a good choice! And so we ordered and rather quickly received our two skewers, each with three jumbo shrimp. They were very good. The shrimp had been marinated in a bit of a jerk sauce, and were served with a bit of Island-style salsa, pineapple, papaya, onion, and who-knows-what-else. All i know for sure is that it was pretty darned good and a lot of fun--and easy to eat, a must when you gotta eat standing up!  Nice job by the Babes!

5 Gastronomy Food Truck

We had a great time at the first Sanford Food Truck Bazaar, organized by The Daily City, last week in downtown Sanford. One of the things we tried was the 5-cheese Mac N Cheese from the 5 Gastronomy Food Truck.  It was OK, but just OK, not my favorite thing that I ate. There was no macaroni in it, but instead they used a curly egg noodle, like something you'd find served under some cheap beef stroganoff, or in a soup. Though the sauce was tasty, it was a bit thin and did not stick to the noodles well. I'll certainly give 5gastronomy another chance, as there were other enticing things on their menu, but for a Mac N Cheese, I'd probably go elsewhere next time. Still, because it had some good flavor but only lacked a bit in execution, I'll give them a provisional "thumbs up" vote on Urbanspoon. But as always, I reserve the right to change my mind and challenge you to try their food for yourself and tell me what you think about it.    

Café Rouge Express Food Truck

We attended the first at The Daily City Food Truck Bazaar at Sanford last week, and came away impressed--and full! One of the delights we had was the Chicken Tikka Masala Flatbread from the Café Rouge Express Food Truck. All I can say is, wow! I'd had a Chicken Tikka Masala at Cafe Rouge, the restaurant, in the past, and it was awesome, so I had to try their flatbread at their new food truck--I was not disappointed. They were kind enough to divide the huge portion into two for my friend Tommy and I--and the portions were huge, though maybe because I know the chef? But at any rate, this was first class. I was told in the past that they make their own garam masala, and it shows. Anyhow, the food was fantastic, awesome. I'll be back, I'm sure. And if I discover Chicken Tikka on the restaurant menu again, you know where'll I'll be headed!

Twisted Cuban Food Truck

I had a quick bite at the Twisted Cuban Food Truck at The Daily City Food Truck Bazaar at Sanford last week, and came away very impressed. My friend Tommy and I attended and tried a number of dishes at the Food Truchk Bazaar, and one of our top favorites was the Pork Taco at Twisted Cuban. It was awesome. There was a huge amount of tender pork in a soft flour tortilla. It was topped with a delicious and crunchy cabbage slaw and a dressing that had a bit of a tang. My only complaint--or rather suggestion--would be to have a bit less pork and a bit more of the slaw--but both were outstanding. I'll have these again one day, I am sure of it. And, by the way, the picture cannot do justice to these. They were truly outstanding, flavorful, just a hint of spice, tender meat, juicy, and ridiculous!

Polonia Polish Restaurant

One of my favorite places to eat good Polish food--for lunch or dinner, is Polonia Polish Restaurant in Longwood. And, since my parents were in town to visit, we went there on a recent weekday for lunch. We were not disappointed and had a wonderful lunch.

For my lunch I ordered the Polish platter so I'd have a nice sampling of Polish food, and I shareda  good 1/4 of it with my Mom. This was a sampling of four traditional Polish foods, all equally wonderful. The sausage was a "white sausage (bialy kielbasa), a sausage that is not smoked. It was fantastic, spicy, fully of flavor, and quite meaty, not overly fatty. The bigos, hunter's stew, was tangy and tender, with bits of meat and mushrooms, truly a delight. The golabek--a cabbage roll--was served with the requested tomato sauge. Ground meat and rice were wrapped in a cabbage leave, then slowly cooked until very tender. The cabbage leave and the tang of the tomato sauce combined to make this dance in the mouth! Yumm. And finally, there were the pieorgi. I've never had a pierogi I didn't love (unless it came from the mega-market's frozen foods section), and these were great as well. I had the potato and cheese, lightly pan fried, served with some caramelized onions. They were wonderful, nice and creamy.

I started out my meal with Zurek, a flavorful Polish sour rye soup--also known variously as Easter Soup or White Barszcz--though there are no beets in it. Zurek is make from a sour rye, so it's a tangy soup, It's served with kielbasa and some boiled egg, and also may contain potatoes and carrots. The zurek I had a Polonia was wonderful, about the best I've ever had, both here and in Poland.

For their starters, both my folks had the special soup of the day, Navy bean with ham. It was excellent. For his lunch, Dad had a special sandwich, roast beef with mushrooms, onions, and provolone cheese. It was wonderful. Both Mom and Dad had some, and both liked it a lot. As a matter of fact, it was a large sandwich and Dad brought some back to eat at a later time--which he did, and said it was just as good as the first time.

I've eaten at Polonia a number of times and will continue to return, time and again. On our way out, Rob, the owner, tried to entice us with some fresh made paczki, a Polish yeast-dough donut, traditionally made just before lent. They looked awesome and so I snapped a picture. But, having just eaten and mindful of the calories, we declined. Now I'm having second thoughts.... Lent is still a week or so away, I could swing on by there one day....

Anna's Polish Restaurant

My parents were in town visiting and so we took them to Anna's Polish Restaurant recently. It was a smart choice as we had an outstanding meal there. I have been to Anna's a few times in the past, and the food this time was as good or better than any of those previous visits. I'll certainly be back, again and again, to enjoy the wonderful food, atmosphere, and service.

We had a reservation and arrived promptly on time at 6:30 PM on a Saturday night. The dining room, which is rather small, was pretty empty, but by the time we'd finished there were people waiting outside for our table, a nice testament to the great food at Anna's.

I started out with the Dill Pickle Soup. It was excellent! Basically a beef or chickent stock is thickened and cooked with some potatoes and carrots and cream, and also some dill pickle brine; then near the end of the process, ground dill pickles are added. The soup, though it may sound "odd" to some, is a delight, the tang of the brine and the creaminess of the broth, the crunch of the pickles, the softness of the potatoes--all add to make this a real treat. I loved this and will certainly try to imitate it some time.

  

I was the only one to have the soup, so quickly it was on to our main courses. Both my Mom and my friend Tommy had the Pork Schnitzel. A tender piece of pork loin had been pounded then, then breaded and fred to perfection. For a side, they had the potato pancake accompanied with applesauce and sour cream. Every element of this dish was perfect. The pork was oh so tender and only very lightly seasoned to let the flavor of the pork shine through. I'm not sure how they got it so tender, but it was cooked perfectly. The potato pancakes were not greasy at all, the potatoes were tender and they were very tasty. We all had a bite or two, and all agreed that it was about the best schnitzel ever.

I had the meat stuffed pyży, a dish I've had here before. It was truly outstanding. To make it, potatoes are cooked and made into a type of dumpling and then stuffed with a seasoned ground meat mixture. The whole thing is then boiled and served steaming hot with what I think was the world's most flavorful mushroom sauce/gravy. We all had a sample and everyone agreed that they were wonderful. The potato dumpling outside is soft and creamy, the meat inside adds some nice texture and flavor from the seasoning, and the gravy--oh, what can I say, it was awesome, nice and earthy and meaty with mushrooms, silky from the creamy sauce, a true delight!   

My Dad had the Pierogi Platter. Thankfully we enticed him into getting the large size so we all could have a piergi or two. I am not sure if they make their own, but no matter, they were wonderful, everything a pierogi should be. They were lightly pan-fried and served with some bits of caramelized onion as well as sour cream on the side. I had one of the meat pierogi, and it was fantastic, the meat was lightly seasoned, cooked meat (not ground), and tasted as good as any I've had in Poland (well, perhaps the ones my cousin Alicja made were a tad better, but these were darned close to as good as hers!). We all loved the pierogi. Of course, who doesn't love pierogi, right? 

Most of our meals also came with side items (besided the aforementioned potato pancakes), and they are worth of comments as well, because they were all so good. I'll list them in order from my most favorite on down, but all were very good. My favorite was a warm cabbage salad that had lots of dill and, I believe, some ground dill pickles in it. It was warm and had a very nice tang to it, perhaps they used some sauerkraut as well. It had a very nice heavy handed dill flavor to it, but the dill did not overpower. It was absolutely delicious.

Another tasty side was the Wazanki (Americanized spelling for łazanki, a traditional Polish and Lithuanian dish). It is a very tasty dish made with square pasta, cabbage, onions, mushrooms, and bacon, and sometimes also kielbasa. It was wonderful, a nice compliment to the meal. The pasta brought an element of smooth, the cabbage a bit of tart, the bacon a bit of savory and salty, as well as a bit of smoky flavor. This is another dish I will make one day, it was wonderful.

The last side was the Red Cabbage, pictured above behind my pyży.This was a cold salad of red cabbage, nicely cookeb but still a bit crunchy. It was also tender and tangy and quite enjoyable.

We could not get away without a few desserts, and so I ordered two, along with 4 forks and plates, so we all could sample them. The first was makowic, a tradtional Polish poppy seed roll. It was awesome, the poppy seed was flavored with honey and finely ground, and the dough itself also was rather sweet. It had a wonderful flavor, I'd buy this by the loaf and eat it all up!

The second dessert was something new to me, called pychotka, a walnut torte/cake. This was another "score," just like all of our meal was. There were several layers of whipped cream, a bit of a cake bottom, and a wonderful flavor of walnuts running through the dish. It was a delight in both flavor and texture. I will definitely have to search for the recipe on the Internet, it's worth trying to make myself.

Our service through the course of the evenign was great, the food outstanding, and the atmosphere friendly, inviting, and "Polish"--of course. I'd highly recommend Anna's to anyone wanting some fine Polish cuisine--they certainly deliver, and deliver well. Great job!

The Food Truck Bazaar

I attended my first Food Truck Bazaar organized by The Daily City recently, and came away very impressed. First off, I am a big fan of downtown Sanford--they host a ton of fun events, and I do mean Fun with a capital "F!" We often hang out in Sanford, usually at our favorite watering hole, The Palette, located inside Art Affair Gallery on First Street in historic downtown Sanford. So when we heard that there was going to be a Food Truck Bazaar nearby, we were all ears. We headed to The Palette to enjoy the happy hour, but then eventually walked the scant block or two away to see what this "food truck bazaar" was all about. I was impressed. About 12-18 food trucks had gathered in a parking lot near the Courthouse building near downtown and there were a ton of people there. The selection was fantastic. Want a cupcake? They got 'em. Want a taco--what kind, many to choose from. Like seafood? Take your pick. Mac 'n Cheese tempting you? The hard part is deciding.

The Daily City organizes quite a few "food truck roundups" during the course of the month, and they are generally repeating events, happening every month on the same weekday (first Saturday was Sanford's, but there are more).

I will write later about the various places we ate, because we had great food and one helluva lot of fun. We even got to meet the organizer and CE) of The Daily City, Mark Baratelli. Hey Mark, a great event--see you there next month, for sure! Not only did we meet him at the gathering, we ran into him later at The Palette. What a great and fun night that was.

I now have the first Saturday of every month on my calendar and you know where I'll be--at The Food Truck Bazaar in downtown Sanford. It was a blast!

Seasons 52 Fresh Grill

I've wanted to visit Seasons 52 Fresh Grill for a long time, but some gift cards received over Christmas were all the incentive we needed, and we had a very nice meal there on a recent Sunday Evening. I'm not sure why we waited so long! Season's 52 is a chain, but it offers very fine dining with a menu that changes with the seasons. We were there for the winter menu, and it was very good.
We had made a reservation and so were seated promptly. Through the course of the evenign, our service was spot-on impeccable, very impressive. We were seated in a room not part of the main dining area, it was very nice. As the evening progressed a few other tables were also seated in the room, but it never got at all loud, I loved the semi-private feel and the ability to hold a normal level of conversation.

We started off with a glass of wine, I had a Merlot and Tommy a Riesling, both very nice. We then picked two appetizers to try. The first was the

Grilled Spicy Tandoori Chicken Skewers, three  skewers of chicken were cooked perfectly and had a very nice spicy heat to them. They were served with a tiny portion of mango chutney and a cucumber herb raita. I loved this dish, but Tommy found it a bit too hot (spicy hot) for his taste. Well, more for me! I really thought it was tasty and flavorful, a nice heat that did not overpower, and chicken that was very tender.

Our second appetizer was the Roasted Shrimp, Lump Crab & Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms. They were also very good and came out piping hot! There were a lot of flavors going on here, and they were served in an escargot type of serving dish, topped with panko and parmesan and broiled. They were good, but hot as in temperature hot. There was a lot of flavor so it was a bit hard to pick out the shrimp vs. the crab vs. the lobster. Yet it was a veritable seafood fest in my mouth, the flavors of the sea were dancing on my tongue, and then tamed by the woodsy mushroom. Yumm!

For my main course, I had the Stuffed Tiger Shrimp. Five large tiger shrimp were butterflied and topped with a nice stuffing, then cooked. I think the shrimp were, however, just a bit overdone. I'm pretty picky about shrimp, and these could have used just about 30 seconds less cooking time, but that is the problem with stuffed shrimp. They were served around a bed of spinach that was topped with a wonderful sort of tomato ragu--it was very fresh and flavorful, and was probalby my most favorite part of this dish. I did think the $21 tab a bit high, however, for what I got, but then again, I was paying for a magnificent atmosphere. Still, overall I enjoyed this dish.

Tommy ordered the Wood-Roasted Pork Tenderloin. The menu said it came on a bed of polenta, but when he asked about sweet potatoes instead, that was absolutely no problem! The dish was served with perfectly cooked broccoli and cremini mushrooms and a dijon glaze. The meat was fantastic, tender, juicy, and full of nice pork flavor. It is not easy to cook pork tenderloin so it is very buttery, but they did it. Tommy loved his dish and I thoroughly enjoyed the tastes I had, from the port tenderloin to the veggies and even to the sweet potatoes which were very smooth and buttery, and not overly sweet. This was a great dish and I'd order it again!

I spied one item on the menu which I just had to try as a side dish: Golden Beets. I am glad I did. They beets had been gently roasted and still had a nice texture to them. They were served with a wasabi sauce on the side. The wasabit was a perfect complement to the buttery, very "rooty" taste of the beets. They were absolutley, out of this world delicious. I will have to try to make this type of dish myself some time, I absolutely loved it.

We'd had our fill and were about ready for the check when along came our server with a tray full of their Mini Indulgences--basically shot glasses filled with various desserts of custard, cream, ice cream, and the like. Every one looked fantastice, and, given their small size, we succumbed to the temptation, have a Mocha Machiato and a Canoli. Both were excellent, and small enough that we didn't get overly full. As a matter of fact, one of the "boasts" of Season's 52 is that all of their entrees are less than 475 calories. I have to say, the portions were a right size for a meal, not overly huge. But each bite of all that we had was full of flavor. Season's 52 is not a cheap place, our total bill before tip and tax was about $82. But it was a very nice experience, and good place for that special event or special evening with a special someone. I'm sure I'll be back to try the menu in anoter season!

Marco Dino's Ristorante

We dined recently at the "new" Marco Dino's Ristorante on Magnolia Square in downtown Sanford, and were pleased! Formerly the location of Stone's Throw Bistro, Marco Dino's is owned by the same chef, the talented Rich Lendino, but now features Italian fare--Rich has gone back to his roots. We enjoyed the meal, the service, and the ambience on our recent visit there.

Upon entering, we were promptly greeted by the maitre d', who, through the course of our visit, seemed to ensure that the front of the house ran smoothly. For our drinks, my friend Tommy ordered a specialty drink, the Dreamsicle. It tasted just like a dreamsicle, sweet, a bit of citrus tang, and very delicious. I had a glass of the house Merlot--also a very fine choice. I'd have to say dinner was off to a fine start.

We decided to start with an appetizer, the Risotto Ball, a baked Italian meatball that was wrapped in risotto, and covered with some smoked mozarella. It was served on a bed or red sauce. The meatball itself was very tasty, moist and tender. I thought the rice just a bit too al dente for my taste, but very close to perfection. Overall, I'd give this a "thumbs up" from several aspects: originality, taste, and plating. I definitely would order it again.

Our dinners came with a choice of soup or salad. For my dinner, I chose to have it with the Tomato Basil soup. Our server, Katie, did caution me that some diner's found it a bit too spicy. I'm glad she offered that caution, a wise move. It was indeed a bit on the spicy side, but I loved it! It had a nice amount of heat. I think that the heat did slightly overpower the basil--I could taste the basil, but it was quite subtle. However, overall loved this soup. The rich and deep tomato flavor was predominant and very fresh tasting. I'd order it again in a heartbeat!

Tommy chose to have the salad with his dinner. Look who's eating healthy! The salad was topped with some carrots, a peperocini, and black olives. The dressing itself was very tasty and served on the side--I always appreciate that. The only real disappointment was that the lettuce was just plain old chopped iceberg. It seemed a bit out of place in the midst of a fancy setting and fine dinner. It was tasty enough, but just seemed a bit "low key" for the setting. But still, it was plenty tasty.

For my main course, I had the Rigatoni all Vodka, a pink cream sauce with pancetta and rigatoni. I added chicken to it, and there were some nice sized medallions of chicken that were very tender. The sauce itself was very good with a nice fresh flavor. There were a few bits of pancetta that seemed a bit tough or gristly, but overall it was just fine. I thought that maybe just a tad more sauce would have been in order. The nicely cooked, perfectly al dente pasta did tend to soak up the sauce--and that's a good thing. But it's also a minor point, since I thoroughly enjoyed this dish. And that's a good thing, too, as the portion was quite substantial and I have enough for a lunch at home later. I also thought the dish seasoned perfectly, nice fresh tomato flavor, some oregano and basil, the cream--it was yummy!

For his main course, Tommy had the Chicken Parmigiana, tender think scallopines of chicken were breaded and fried, topped with parmesan cheese and baked and served with a red sauce. All of this was served on a bed of spaghetti. This seemed to me, as with my dish, a real Italian dish, hearty, showcasing the tomato flavor, and it was delicious. It's a good thing, too, as we also have leftovers of this, it was a very substantial serving.

I cannot quit without mentioning the breadstick. They were very good. Tender, flavorful, a nice hint of garlic, and served warm. And there was a steady supply of them. They were great for sopping up the last of the soup and the last of the sauce on the plate, too. And were fine with just a bit of oil and pepper as well.

Overall, I'd say Marco Dino's Ristoranti is off to a great start. We've heard from a few other friends who've eaten there and all agreed, it was very good. We were there on a Saturday night and I was surprise at how busy they were. It's a new endeavor for Rich and his crew, and if they keep up the good work, will be a success and a nice addition to the restaurant scene in downtown Sanford, one of my favorite places to hang out. 

Bob Evans

Comfort food is what I consider the main fare at Bob Evans, and a recent Sunday noonish time found at at our local Bob Evans. We did find our comfort food.

My friend Tommy was in the mood for breakfast, so he ordered the Country Biscuit Breakfast, a split biscuit topped with crumbled sausage, a perfectly cooked medium-well egg, cheese and gravy. It also had home fries on the size. For Tommy, the breakfast was "just OK." The sausage was just crumbled sausage and the gravy was pretty plain, not sausage gravy. The potatoes were very good and he was impressed that they cooked the egg perfectly, just as he requested.

I started off with a salad with raspberry viniagrette dressing. The salad itself was pretty ordinary, but fresh, a mix of iceberg and romaine lettuce, some julienne carrots and a few grape tomatoes. The raspberry vinagrette was decent and served on the side. It was all I'd expect of an average, ordinary salad.

For my main dish, I had the Slow-Roasted Turkey Knife & Fork Sandwich. Bread was topped with celery-sage dressing, mashed potatoes, roast sliced turkey (not lunchmeat, but real turkey slices) and topped with gravy. It was all I expected it to be, very good comfort food. The dressing reminded me a bit in texture of Stove-Top stuffing, but that is good comfort food. There was nothing about this "sandwich" that I did not like, except maybe it could have used a bit more gravy. The size was perfect for lunch, the flavor was good, savory, a bit of sweet, it tasted just like an open-face turkey sandwich should, and I left very satisfied.

Our service was great and fast from start to finish, the place was bright and clean. I've eaten here before and will come back again. If I want simple comfort food at a resonable price, Bob Evans is one place that comes to my mind. Close, convenient, simple, decent food at a decent price. 

Yum-Mì Sandwiches

I was glad to get a chance to try the fare at Yum-Mì Sandwiches recently, and I was not disappointed. My friend Tommy and I were headed to an art show opening at The Center which is nearby, so we took the opportunity to try out Yum-Mì. We were both satisfied and enjoyed our meals.

Yum-Mì is a fairly new establishment what is a very Asian area of Mills Street, just a bit west of downtown Orlando. It is very nicely decorated with a very modern feel. I cannot speak to the authenticity of the food. but I do know good food, so was excited to try some new things. You walk in and order at the counter, they give you a number, and then they bring your food out to you. It seems a decent system.

We started with some yummìtizers (appetizers), some Spring Rolls, At the suggestion of the young man behind the counter, we ordered both the Shredded Chicken, and the Shrimp and Pork Spring Rolls. In due time they arrived. The Shredded Chicken were serverd with a peanut-based dipping sauce, a nice enhancement to the flavor of the spring roll. Both the spring rolls were fresh and tasty, filled with the protein but also with fresh veggies that included napa cabbage, carrots, and a host of other flavors. They were delicate but tasty. The Shrimp roll was accompanied by a thin, clear dipping sauce. I detected a bit or rice wine vinegar in it, but am not sure what else was there. It was very light in taste, a perfect compliment for the delicate shrimp in the roll.

Yum-Mì's main fare is bánh mì, Vietnamese sandwiches. They are served on fresh baked rolls with a variety of meats and other filings. For his sandwich, Tommy ordered one of their specialty sandwiches, the Yin N Yang, containing five-spice bouron chicken, lettuce and tomatoes, in addition to some julienne carrot, cucumber, cilantro and perhaps a few other things. It was quite tasty, though did benefit a bit from some mayo. Still, it was a very tasty sandwich with a nice balance of meat and savory flavors along with the crunch and freshness of the vegetables. It was indeed "yummy!"

I decided to try traditional, so ordered the Yum-Mi Traditional, called đặc biệt in Vietnamese.  It, too, was very good, a nice balance of savory with the meats (admittedly quite finely sliced) and the crunch and freshness of the veggies: julienne carrots, cucumber, cilantro, and perhaps a few others I am not familiar with. It also had some sort of sauce, which added to the great taste. I liked this sandwich a lot, the balance of taste and texture on a fresh roll was excellent. I had only one complaint, and that was the stems of the cilantro. They were a bit tough and i had one or two that were exceptionally large. Less stem would have been desireable as it's kind of chewy and stong in flavor. But overall, I enjoyed my sandwich a lot.

As a matter of fact, we enjoyed our whole meal, that the price is very reasonable. The sandwiches were well uner $5 each, and the appetizers were just something we wanted to try. We even took two spring rolls home, and, for a minute, debated on only eating half of our sandwiches. They were both quite filing. So we enjoyed our experience there, and I'd recommend that you give Yum-Mì a try as well. I think you'll be glad you did. It is indeed "Yum-Mi!"

Panera Bread

I'm asking myself, "Why don't we go to Panera Bread more often?" We wanted a quick and simple bite for dinner the other night and settled on Panera Bread. It was great from several aspects. I'm sure we'll be back.

First, it was rather healthy. The menu is clearly posted and each item has the number of calories posted as well. That was extrememly helpful. It helped me choose the cup of Chicken Noodle Soup (80 calories for a cup) and the half sandwich Ham and Swiss (290 calories), some of the lowest calorie items for what I considered a dinner. The soup came with some warm bread which probably added a few calories, but it was very good bread and well worth it. Second, it was fast. We'd barely ordered when Our orders were ready. Now, granted, we were there past the normal dinner hour on a Friday and they were not packed, but they certainly had a steady flow of traffic. So from order time to pick up time was barely a minute, it seemed. Third, it was a pleasant and clean atmosphere. While we were there, they were busy keeping tables and area clean. There were a fair amount of people around, some camped out with laptops and wireless devices, enjoying the free WiFi, some just like us, in for a bit to eat. Fourth, it was reasonable! For the "Pick Two" with a cup of soup and a half sandwich, the damages were a mere $6.99. Unbelievable, and we left there quite full. And last, but certainly not least, the food was very good! The soup was delicious. The sandwich was great. The ingredients were fresh. And best of all, it was a rather healthy meal. What a win. I need to get out to Panera Bread more often. I think I will now!