A Panera Bread Homage: You Pick Two (At Home Seasonalist Version)
🥣 Joining the Panera nostalgia trend my way--by embracing the You Pick Two At Home
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“Choices are the hinges of destiny.” —Edwin Markham
Panera Bread is trending in the weirdest ways, and I’m here for it.
After a ‘90s nostalgia-fueled summer, and inspired by Jenna’s A Love Letter to Early 2000s Panera (I smiled from start to finish-an absolutely bonkers homage to Panera in the best way) and Larisa’s equally excellent Your Guide to Bringing These 5 90s Aesthetics Back Into Your Life, Panera Bread swirled back into my consciousness.
It’s not so much the vibes for me. It’s the You Pick Two. I present to you the Gen X Panera Revival: You Pick 2 At Home, seasonal dinners for empty nesters or singletons. Actually, this would go great with families too. It makes dinner fun. Okay, You Pick 2 for ALL.
Panera Origin Story
Panera began in 1987, when Ken and Linda Rosenthal opened “The Saint Louis Bread Company” after Ken became enamored with San Francisco sourdough bread.
Panera rapidly expanded from there, with an emphasis on “clean food” and apparently funky aesthetics now trending with cultish reverence.
The Seasonalist’s Panera Backstory
Panera arrived in Columbus, Ohio (where I was living in the late 90s) and I immediately honed in on You Pick 2. A small portion of two different things—joy alert.
The Seasonalist OG Order
You Pick 2: A cup of broccoli cheddar soup and 1/2 Tuna Sandwich.
But wait, there’s more! You also choose between a tasteless red delicious apple, a stale hunk of baguette, or average kettle chips (clearly Panera R&D dollars went into the main menu offerings).
A lemonade
I continued to order this for many years until I discovered 10 Vegetable Soup, and my go-to order was forever changed.
When I had kids, Panera became a vacation desperation meal (we’re in the middle of nowhere, “oh look, a Panera! We know we can get a reliable meal there”—looking at you Waukesha, Wisconsin.
As my children got older, Panera was a go-to on road trips for Swim Meets and Basketball tournaments (IYKYK), where you could get a vaguely healthy meal in between fast food stops.
Panera Today
I
madeinvited my friend T on a field trip to Panera. It was crowded. An entire men’s college soccer team pulled up. I ran into old friends I hadn’t seen in forever. Is Panera resurging? Or had it never left, and it was me who failed to remember the steadiness and dependability of Panera?Speaking of dependability (OR NOT), devastating news: The 10 Vegetable Soup was discontinued in April 2024 (that’s how long it’s been since I’ve visited Panera).
But palpitations: a Ciao Summer You Pick 2 filled the void. And I relate to this—it’s still summer, we’re still saying goodbye. We’re not doing squash soup yet. Take note other retailers!
I selected the Mexican Street Corn Chowder (the seasonal choice, of course) and chose my old reliable, the 1/2 tuna. 10/10 enjoyment.
You Pick 2: At Home Version
I decided to bring You Pick 2 home.
The Supplies: A $100 gift card to Crate & Barrel appeared in my inbox (a gift from my Sister-in-law for cat-sitting). I grabbed salt & pepper shakers and a salad spinner. But then I stumbled upon these beauties:
But Make it Seasonal. Henceforth, a Seasonal You Pick 2 will be a regular feature in this newsletter. It’s just too damn joyful to eat this way.
And I can make myself 10 Vegetable Soup. This recipe is a bit “busy”—but I promise it tastes similar. The only changes I made are just one can of diced roasted tomatoes. 🥣🥣🥣🥣🥣 (the highest ranking a soup can get).
An Homage to Lil Chippers Petite Chocolate Chipper Cookies
I buried the lede. No meal is complete without a bag of tiny chocolate chip cookies. Perfect to share (or not).
But now they have chocolate chunks—no more mini chips. This is calling for a DIY with the OG mini chips. Maybe this one: Copycat Panera Chocolate Chipper Chip Cookies.
No ten vegetable soup! No mini-chips! A lot of changes at once. It’s time for some personal growth and branching out to See Other Soups. And cookies.
Change is hard. But often for the better.
In soup, and in life.
🧡 Wrap-Up
Reminder: paid subscriptions are available at the low price of $35 until the end of the year.
And yes, a Seasonal You Pick 2 will be a regular feature on The Fluff Stuff. We are in Seasonal Prime Time, and easy and cozy seasonal dinners are the way.
What is your go-to Panera Bread order?
Now that Panera is on the brain, it’s everywhere. Panera Bread in the wild.
At Target: I see that my photo skills have not improved and have lovingly including the prepared chicken options from Good & Gather. And for further inspiration, I’m following Panera on Instagram—our Seasonal Guiding Light this Autumn. And if you have trouble choosing? So does Conrad. I mean CHRIS.
It’s called “Panera Core.” I know. I felt physical pain typing that. For those longing for Ye Olde Panera Shoppe of the 90s and 2000s.
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Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browserSpeaking of nostalgia. An ironic piece. Why Are People Using AI TO Relieve the '90s? (with an interview with Vanilla Ice!)
The middle-aged onetime star has a similar message for anyone willing, per his 1990 song, to stop, collaborate and listen: “Get out of the cyber world immediately,” he said.
The Seasonalist agrees. Get out of the cyber world, and back into the real world. The Panera World.
This was just a delight to read - I laughed out loud at the “You also choose between a tasteless red delicious apple, a stale hunk of baguette, or average kettle chips” 🤣 I always tend to choose the stale baguette lol
You pick two is my faaaave in fall bc of butternut squash soup! I get it an embarrassing amount of times