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Business & Tech

Living La Vida Locavore at Panini Press

This cozy, comfy cafe is a budget-friendly spot to grab lunch or chill out with free Wi-Fi and coffee.

ad·dic·tion, noun ə-ˈdik-shən, a-: compulsive need for and use of a habit-forming substance (as heroin, nicotine or alcohol) characterized by tolerance and by well-defined physiological symptoms upon withdrawal.

Merriam-Webster now needs to add a picture of me eating one of Panini Press’ sandwiches to its definition. Hi, my name is Dorothy, and I’m a Panini Press-aholic.

For lunch, I typically insulated-bag-it to work to save some cash. But since lunching at Panini Press, I have ditched the bag several times, and at $5.99 apiece, a sandwich there won’t bust the budget.

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In the '90s, coffeehouses served as a home away from home, with indie charm and bottomless refills of your favorite coffee concoction. But as chain coffee shops have flourished, quirky, comfortable cafés as a place to chill and perhaps eat have become a rare breed.

But with tunes by Arcade Fire playing in the background, a locavore focus (a locavore is one who tries to eat only locally grown foods), free Wi-Fi and the warm Italian-flavored decor, I was transported to the heyday of lazy days at the neighborhood café at Panini Press.

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There are only nine sandwiches on the menu (each named with a newspaper theme), allowing for Panini Press to perfect a few rather than overwhelm patrons and palates with 5 gazillion choices. Ingredients are locally sourced, resulting in food that is fresher, better-tasting and better for our local economy.

For example, you can taste the difference in the smoked turkey and balsamic pesto mayo, bursting with fresh flavors in The Plymouth Pages, nicely accented by the peppery arugula and melted provolone.

Also on our list of favorites, The Tucson Tribune features grilled chicken, peppers, pepper jack cheese and a seriously spicy mayo that packs a lot of smoky flavor.

The Kansas City Press boasts tender slices of shaved roast beef with onions caramelized to sweet perfection and smothered in a smoky barbecue sauce.

Bread choices include ciabatta, which makes for a crispy, flaky sandwich, multigrain and Italian. The breads are locally made, but a staffer wouldn’t give up the goods on the maker, taking a cue from the journalism world by protecting its sources. We can respect that.

There are other things to feast on than panini (but why else would you come here?). Panini Press offers a house salad — a typical assortment of greens and vegetables, nothing special — and a daily soup. We like the tomato basil bisque, which is a wonderful, rich, creamy soup with a smoky finish that hits the back of the mouth. The vegetable beef is comfort in a bowl, with tender pieces of meat and veggies that retain some crispness in a perfectly seasoned broth.

You can upgrade your panini to combo status by adding a drink and chips (Better Made, a famed Michigan product) or coleslaw.

Definitely a more healthful, tastier choice for lunch than supersizing it.

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