We went to have dinner at IHOP tonight because of the National Pancake Day and the free short stack, but upon discovering a waiting area brimming with cheapskates like us, we decided to go a different direction. Our path turned to the Paradise Bakery on the other side of the parking lot. In that Paradise, Sydney ordered the buttered noodles, and Brian ordered some chili and a turkey sandwich.
Now, I've always liked Paradise in principle, but rarely in practice, when it didn't directly involve iced tea and a snickerdoodle. So, I had a rough time with the menu as I stood there. But then I saw it: a panini of tomato and mozzarella. You may not know this about me, but I love, love, love a good tomato and mozzarella sandwich. (There's one at Off Vine that is amazing. And the Cafe Amsterdam near our apartment in Boston made a fantastic sandwich.) So once I saw this on the menu, I couldn't get past it.
I changed the bread to the white rather than ciabatta, because ciabatta bread is gross, but that was all I switched up. The sandwich also comes with a tomato-based pesto (which sounds random), and some basil leaves on it. I could not wait for this sandwich to land on my table, and when it arrived, I dove right in. Let me tell you, by the third bite, I was in love.
By the time I finished it, I was in raptures, and planning my next visit to Paradise so I could have it again. This dinner was so far superior to anything that I would have gotten at IHOP, even with the promise of free pancakes. Yes, I am glad to have paid for a better dinner than I would have had for free.
I can not wait to go back.
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