Next up is the Italian Combo sandwich at Panera. The sandwich consists of slices of roast beef, turkey, ham, salami, lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, peperoncini, and a "special sauce." It's available either as a whole sandwich or as a half sandwich paired with a soup or salad. In my case, I opted for the half sandwich with a bowl of French onion soup.Overall the experience was quite good. The French onion soup was topped with sharp Parmesan cheese and fresh-made croûtons that were crunchy, but not dry. The soup itself might be a bit salty for some tastes, but not for this reviewer.
Fans of Italian sandwiches might be disappointed with this offering, however. If it weren't for the peperoncini the sandwich would have been very bland -- and therein lies the problem. The single whole peperoncini on the sandwich was small compared to the overall sandwich, so it was difficult to get even a bit of it in most bites. The bites that did had an amazing balance of zest, but they were infrequent.
The final component of the meal was a portion of French baguette. It was a decent size and hearty. If you are not full by this point in the meal the baguette should clinch it. To be honest, there is probably enough food in these meals without it. At $7.10 for this meal without a drink, they probably should have left the baguette off for a cheaper price.
So is the Italian Combo sandwich worth your time and money? It's something worth trying at some point, but I'd sample some of Panera's other sandwiches first.
Recommendation: Not a must-eat, but worth a shot sometime.
Taste: 6/10
Quality: 8/10
Value: 5/10
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