Paninii Gourmet Cafe', Florence, Ky

Today as I had a delicious lunch with Abbey and Leah, I had the brilliant idea (or so I thought), to write a review about it. In an effort to "Write a Better Story", for a few years now I have been making a more concerted effort to spend our dollars to support more local...or at least smaller...businesses. When I come across a great place or a good deal, I need to pass that along to you. So here goes my first ever blogging restaurant review.

Paninii Gourmet Cafe at 7561 Mall Road in Florence, Kentucky, might be a chain I've never heard of...but I am certain that the man behind the counter asking us multiple times if all was well and encouraging us at least twice to come back, had to be a local owner. I assured him that we would. Here's why:

• All fruit smoothies, with no dairy, although possibly not free of added sugar...would be one of the few healthy, quick options I can get when running errands.  They are $4 each, but there are veggie options and additional supplements available too.
• 9-inch rustic flatbreads for $4-$7
• Salads and wraps for around $7 each
• And paninis...available on ciabatta or rosemary/herb bread

Leah had the Mango Tango smoothie and thought it was good. It filled her up quickly. Abbey and I each had a coupon (received in this week's home mailing) for 50% off a panini when you purchase a side and drink.  Without the coupon, this would have put both of our meals around $11 apiece. But here's how our family of six could make this affordable...sharing.

Abbey and I each only ate half of our paninis, and with my small side salad, I was stuffed. We took home our leftovers and shared them with the two homebodies, Noah and Rebekah. Essentially, we fed five people for less than $20. Granted, that was with coupons, but absent the sides and drinks, it would be about the same amount. Sharing wouldn't leave us stuffed...but stuffing shouldn't be our goal anyway, right? [Yes, that is an an entirely different cultural blog post ]

Just in case you were wondering...it was delicious too. I had the Black Angus with thinly sliced Angus steak, horseradish spread, cheddar and sauteed onions and mushrooms on a perfectly grilled ciabatta bread. For someone that eats red meat about once a month and doesn't like a lot of thick meat, I would highly recommended it. And Abbey thought the Pesto Chicken with chicken breast, mozzarella, creamy pesto and tomatoes was yummy.

A brief internet search still doesn't tell me if this is a chain or not, but I only found the one location. So next time you want a somewhat healthier option, in a casual atmosphere and don't want to break the bank...try Paninii Gourmet Cafe. They're located in front of HH Gregg on Mall Road in Florence.