On a recent Thursday night, my husband and I needed a break from cooking, so we decided to enjoy a night out at our local Corner Bakery Cafe. After reviewing the Corner Bakery Cafe website, I was pleasantly surprised that I could “create my own combo” and build a meal directly on the website.
I was also delighted to discover that Corner Bakery Cafe actually started on a corner—baking their own artisan breads and using local ingredients in a real kitchen. I knew I wanted to choose one of the options from their Healthy Dining menu and was happy to find so many great combinations. I wanted to be able to enjoy my night out while knowing the foods I was enjoying were meeting the Healthy Dining nutrition criteria.
On our arrival, the smell and sights of a bakery on the corner mixed with the cool October air. Everything reminded us of being in a small town bakery—the atmosphere felt just like it was described on the website.
Although I had already picked out what I wanted earlier that day, my husband needed a few minutes, so he used his iPhone to check the menu for Healthy Dining options. He usually chooses healthy but hearty options, and I could see he looked carefully at his choices in order to find an option to fill him up. From my end, I wanted to make sure I got in my greens but also felt like splurging on something warm. We both decided on the Corner Combos. I choose the Corner Combo: California Grille Panini and Mixed Greens Side Salad. My husband was really feeling the colder weather and chose the Corner Combo: Mom’s Turkey on Harvest Bread and Lentil Soup.
We ordered, grabbed some water, and chose a small booth toward the back of the restaurant. When our food arrived, we were pleased by the simple but thoughtful presentation. My sandwich was delicious, with just the right amount of cheese and grilled vegetables, all toasted to perfection. It tasted great; I could not believe it was a Healthy Dining option. The greens were crisp and the dressing had a little kick, perfectly complementing the sandwich. I usually feel a little guilty about salad dressing, but I was happy to see the dressing was included in the Healthy Dining nutritional analysis, so it was already included as a smart choice for my dinner.
My husband’s food also did not disappoint. The lentil soup was soothing and tasty. The sliced turkey breast was delicious, and while he usually over-seasons his food, this time he didn’t even ask for mayo—the lettuce and tomato was all that the sandwich needed!
Overall, this was a terrific meal. We left satisfied and feeling full and warm and content that we had made healthy choices from the Healthy Dining menu. I left feeling confident that I can go to a Corner Bakery Cafe and make positive choices whenever I need a break or am in a hurry.