February Foodie Stop: Breadworks in Boulder

Restaurant-a-Month
Judy's Pick
February 2010

Breadworks
2644 Broadway
Boulder, CO 80304

They pride themselves "on our award-winning organic artisan breads, fine pastries, fresh à la carte breakfasts, lunches and our gourmet take-away food."

What We Ate
We both ate the chicken torta panini, which has grilled chicken, spicy avocado mayo and pepper jack cheese on their fresh baked bread. It came with chips and a pickle.

The Good Stuff
The food was fresh and the bread was great. We both had French toast on our minds when we finished lunch. The bread was dense and moist, something unlike the weightless Sara Lee white whole wheat I usually buy for home (for my son's PB&Js). The trip through line was pretty darn fast - but that's for another reason (see the section below -what we would change).

What We Would Change
Judy and I are both big flavor people. We don't shy away from seasoning our foods well. These sandwiches, "spicy avocado mayo" notwithstanding, were nothing special. The flavors didn't pop at all and weren't really memorable.

In addition, when I pay $8.95 for a panini, I at least expect that it will be grilled for me right then, served hot from the griddle with crisp bread and oozing cheese. These were precooked and kept wrapped and in a hot spot.

The Bottom Line
Based on what I ate there, I would definitely consider going back to buy one of their breads for home. I have also heard good things about the soup, so I'd try those. However, I'd skip the paninis because of the price and lack of flavor. Our paninis, with loose chips and a pickle cost $8.95 plus tax.