[jaspal]

I'm with you. The restaurant was charming BUT the food was inferior. I vote for Panera which has great food.

[natickdan]

We have a Panera Bread about a mile from our home in MA and I enjoy going there for lunch or just a cup of coffee and a pastry. They have a good selection of breads, pastry, sandwiches and soups and I think they'll do well when they open this spring.

[REDCART]

Originally Posted by Skip

Gourmet Club says May, 2011.

Skip

In the last construction update this week, the opening date has slipped from March to April 2011. The Gourmet Club may have inside info.

[Brynnie]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

I always agree with 07 and Memason.

I think the food is not so great anywhere in TV. I wonder why that is ? (There are exceptions and we know where they are and we frequent them)

Do all of the good cooks who do it for money still live outside of The Villages?

We need immigration from young people who know how to cook and want to cook here in The Villages.

Maybe they don't pay them enough? The prices are low in most restaurants. hmmm.

I agree that the food in TV is not all that good--with the possible exception of Bonefish Grill and Lopez CC. Most of the "country club" restaurants (who shall remain nameless) are mediocre at best and awful at worst--same fare, same decor--boring! We need some restaurants with ambiance--and chefs, not cooks. Wonder if the new Bonifay will be any different. I kind of doubt it, though.

[jaspal]

I'm with you. I was in a stock group at the time. When I saw what was happening at Panera I was convinced that they would succeed. With out a 5 year history I could not convince my group to buy it. I talked with several friends who decided to buy it ($5.00 per share) had made LOTS of money as it kept dividing MANY times. They have the winning balance.
Wish I had bought Apple when it went down to $90.

[gongoozler]

Originally Posted by Jane52

. . . it will be just another Panera where you have to push and shove to crawl between people standing in the long lines, to get to the condiments bar

I practice safe eating and always use a condiment.

[sunday]

Originally Posted by Brynnie

I agree that the food in TV is not all that good--with the possible exception of Bonefish Grill and Lopez CC. Most of the "country club" restaurants (who shall remain nameless) are mediocre at best and awful at worst--same fare, same decor--boring! We need some restaurants with ambiance--and chefs, not cooks. Wonder if the new Bonifay will be any different. I kind of doubt it, though.

Chef's cost $$$(75k-85kyr for 5-10years experience)... That's pretty wet behind the ears and inexperienced for the restaurant business, besides, the market in The Villages won't support that... I believe Lopez would have folded years ago if not for the pool bar, and they have never had to support a bona fide chef? I am not sure any "accredited chef" would tolerate the false sence of intitlement in that particular demographic for very long either...
There are 2 accredited chefs working in The Villages(to my absolute knowledge) ... One teaches at the charter school, and the other owns a catering company operating out of one of the more successful restaurants in the area....I wonder why??? niether one chooses to open a restaurant? Might have something to do with the bickering and shallow pockets....
JMHO

[katezbox]

TPop - from my own adopted area on Conn had it right a few posts back...

1. Many of us are looking for value - why else would people frequent Red Lobster, Golden Corral, Olive Garden or Butterbeans? All of these places serve food that is NOT prepared on premise. How is that you say.... those Sysco trucks you see all the time deliver the equivalent of frozen dinners - full of sodium, guar gum and who knows what else - that a cook just needs too heat up.

2. Independent restaurants like Red Sauce - can't support the pricey rent and high volume - so their best dishes tend to consistently be those prepared in advance - lasagna and eggplant parm. Villagers complain because a glass of wine there costs more than $5 and is not filled to the top like the "happy Hour" swill wine we get at most other places.

3. The country clubs etc. may be "local" but most of their food is also of the prepared variety used by the chains. Just look at the menu at Cattle Baron! No "chef" can have all of that available without it being frozen/pre-cooked.

4. If you want to find great restaurants as we had in New England, you need to leave the Bubble - or buy the items mentioned at Red Sauce.

5. Verandah wasn't great - but, as someone who visits airports about 40 times/year - Panera is exactly like being in an airport. Too noisy - OK food etc etc etc.

6. Gracie - you are right - Panera has a footprint and they will stick to it. Yes, certain McD's locations find a way to fit in to community - but only under HUGE pressure from locals.

JMHO

[kofficer]

I am among the group that is so sorry to see the Veranda go. We had some very nice lunches there on our 3 trips to the Villages, so far, and were looking forward to going again this weekend when we come up for the PRO-AM bowling tournament. Panera bread will see me not. It's not a place you go to enjoy your surroundings. Some of the good is good, but none of it is for anyone who has to watch their salt!! It's more of a run in, stand in line, get your stuff and woof it down place. Some are good, some are not.

When we were there last August, walking around Sumter Marketplace, we wandered into The Tea Plantation Restaurant. It was a Friday night, they had a female singer, as well as some very accomplished villagers who also sang, and the food was great. Not your usual chain restaurant for sure. As it is small and intimate, we felt like we knew everyone in there by the time, we left -- and this is what people move to the Villages, for. At least why we are working on getting our house sold so we can be on our way.

We will be back up for a month in August in a rental, and look forward to trying Sakura then, we have been hearing alot about that also, and some of the country clubs -- we didn't like Palmer, very snooty.

So I bid a fond farewell to the Veranda, and hope we see more of her kind in the future.

Lee and Richard from Tampa, for now.