Paradise Bakery & Cafe

A friend of mine invited me to Panera Bread at Clay Terrace. Minutes before I arrived, she called me to tell me that it's not Panera, but Paradise Bakery & Cafe. Honestly, if it weren't for the sign on the door, I probably would never have known otherwise.

The atmosphere is as similar as the menu. Not that there's a problem with that. I like Panera as much as the next person.

We stood for a few minutes trying to decide what we wanted to eat. Both of us wanted soup, but neither of us were impressed with the day's selection, so we perused the sandwich list.

I decided on the Chicken Artichoke Panini, my friend chose a Thai Chicken Wrap. She commented when she ordered, "I hope I like this." The gentleman taking her order said, "Well, if you don't we'll just get you something else, how's that sound?" A+ for accommodating attitude!

Neither of us made resolutions to lose weight in the new year, so we were thrilled that a big cookie came with our sandwich orders.

We sat down in a booth and enjoyed our sandwiches and conversation. My friend said it was the sauce that MADE her wrap and my panini was perfection. In hindsight, we decided we should've shared one half of our respective orders with each other...next time we'll know!

Service is always excellent

I really enjoy their sandwich selections, but probably wouldn't rate them any higher than Panera. I definitely prefer Panera's soups. The salads are also very good, and are huge! Their staff is always very accommodating and friendly, so their service has outbeat Panera every time I've gone. The cookies are amazing.