Panera Bread 2 with Monica Ruiz and Chris O'Malley

"Panera Bread 2 with Monica Ruiz and Chris O'Malley" is Episode 282 of *Doughboys*, hosted by Mike Mitchell and Nick Wiger. "Panera Bread 2 with Monica Ruiz and Chris O'Malley" was released on January 7, 2021.

## Synopsis

Monica Ruiz (*The Bold and the Beautiful*, *The Rookie*) and Chris O'Malley (Watermans) join the 'boys for a revisit of Panera Bread. Plus, another edition of Can I Take Your Order?

## Nick's intro

In 1867, in St. Louis, Missouri, William Dench\*, the business partner of Eberhard Anheuser, sold his stake in their brewery to Anheuser's son-in-law, Adolphus Busch. And so Anheuser-Busch was born, and two German-Americans collaborated to build the St. Louis original into the dominant American macrobrewery on the backs of its Budweiser brands.

But there's another international institution that was founded in the city famous for its Arch and transatlantic flight: a purveyor of, not liquid, but solid yeast byproduct - a bakery founded in 1987 as St. Louis Bread, though its official corporate history has been oddly retconned to place its founding in Boston.

But true breadheads know what's up!

And in 1993, the prosperous STL baker was purchased by French-American pastry chain, Au Bon Pain, who took the concept national. The new ownership renamed the company the Spanish word for 'bread box' or 'bread basket' and that branding extended to newly-opened outposts, though the Missouri location still retained the Gateway to the West's name. Oddly, the new company sold off its Au Bon Pain holdings in the late '90s to focus on its new Midwest cash cow, though in something of a storybook ending, the companies reconnected and remerged in 2017. This time, one must hope, for good.

And while through a series of mergers, Anheuser-Busch may have grown into the almost indecipherable-sounding multinational conglomerate, Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV, which manages international brands like Corona, Stella Artois, and Foster's, and is headquartered in the Belgian city of Leuven, the St. Louis Bread Company sticks to its roots by focusing on its sweet and savory baked goods and keeping its corporate offices at home in the Show Me State.

This week on Doughboys, we return to Panera Bread.

[*Nick says 'Dench' but Google tells me his name was William O'Dench.* -ed.]

## Fork rating

The first time the Doughboys visited Panera Bread, Nick rated it 2.5 forks, Mitch went with 3.25 forks, and they famously described it as a place to go to give someone bad news.

* Vegetarian Autumn Squash Soup
* Broccoli Cheddar Mac & Cheese
* Baja Bowl
* Cheese Flatbread Pizza
* Pecan Braid
 Mike Mitchell
* Plum Ginger Hibiscus Tea [Mrs. Mitchell's drink]
* Creamy Tomato Soup
* Classic Grilled Cheese
* Broccoli Cheddar Mac & Cheese
* Greek Salad
* Baja Bowl
* Margherita Flatbread Pizza
* French Baguette
* Candy Cookie
* Everything Bagel
* Sesame Bagel
* Chive and Onion Cream Cheese
 Monica Ruiz
* Scrambled Egg & Cheese on Brioche
* Four Cheese Souffle
* Orange Scone
* Vanilla Cinnamon Roll
* Mediterranean Bowl
 Chris O'Malley
* Creamy Tomato Soup
* Bacon, Scrambled Egg & Cheese on Ciabatta
* Margherita Flatbread Pizza
* Toasted Frontega Chicken Sandwich

Monica and Chris went to Panera numerous times for the show, and shared their orders.

**The Spoonman ~~Bite of the Night~~ ~~Slurp of the Burp~~** **Whatever** went to the Creamy Tomato Soup.

## Can I Take Your Order? 📝

In this segment, Nick presents a restaurant chain, and using its menu, Mitch and guest craft an order under an "array of pre-conditions."

The restaurant for this episode is KFC.

The preconditions this time are:

* a budget limit of $10, which includes tax
* must order vegetarian

* Mac & Cheese
* Sweet Kernel Corn
* Baked Beans
* Two Biscuits
* Strawberry Lemonade
* ($10.94)
 Monica Ruiz & Chris O'Malley
* Cole Slaw
* Mac & Cheese
* Two Biscuits
* Lemonade
* ($9.60)

## Quotes

**Mitch**: Fuck you. You're an asshole.

**Mitch**: You are a freak.

**Mitch**: This is insane.

## Taco Bell Order for a First-Timer 🔔

* Beefy 5-Layer Burrito
* Nacho Cheese Doritos Locos Taco
* Baja Blast Freeze
* 3 Mild Sauces per item
* Black Bean Crunch Wrap
* Quesadilla

## Photos

Cheese Flatbread PizzaVegetarian Autumn Squash SoupBroccoli Cheddar Mac & CheeseBaja BowlTomato and Cucumber SaladKettle-Cooked Potato ChipsPecan BraidMargherita Flatbread PizzaCreamy Tomato SoupGrilled Cheese SandwichBroccoli Cheddar Mac & CheeseGreek SaladBaja BowlCandy Cookie