Panino's - Monroe, CT

Posted By Michael Stern on June 25, 2002 7:53 PM

Here's proof, once more, that Route 25 from Bridgeport to Newtown is a golden path of good eats through southwestern Connecticut. Panino's is a strip-mall restaurant that doesn't look all that special when you drive past, but inside, the pizzas, grinders, and specialty panini sandwiches are well worth a stop.

Panino is the name for a house-baked flatbread similar to focaccia but lighter and more delicate. It is served in small triangles before dinner (with bowls of olive oil for dipping); and big rounds of it serve as the foundation for specialty sandwiches. Among these are Ischia, which is grilled chicken, Parma (proscuitto and mozzarella), and quattro stagioni (eggplant, zucchini, peppers, and mozarella with pesto mayonnaise).

We were especially taken by the delicious flavor of Panino's grilled chicken in the Ischia. Tipster Ed Steinerts, who recommended Panino's to us in the first place, said that he prefers the Blue Grotto wedge (a.k.a. sub sandwich): grilled chicken with melted gorgonzola. Ed wrote that Panino's is "the only place I've been where the grilled chicken actually tastes grilled." Amen to that!

"Old fashioned and gourmet," is how the menu describes Panino's cuisine, meaning that the kitchen's repertoire is broad. It is possible to come here for a modest wrap or grinder or a whole meal of chicken Marsala or veal Parmigiana. Pizza topping possibilities range from classic pizza-parlor ingredients (sausage, peppers, etc.) to such luxuries as baby clams and sundried tomatoes.

A cozy place with nice varnished wood tables and evocative art on the wall, Panino's has a semi-open kitchen where, from the order counter, you can watch the cooks flatten rounds of dough and expertly construct pizzas.

Overall Rating

Panini sandwich

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Posted By M Naber on October 23, 2011 10:32 AM

Do not go to this restaurant as a couple. My wife and I went for dinner. Since they don't take reservations we called to check the waiting list and drove over. We waited for the two groups ahead of us to be seated; we were next. By the time they opened up a table there were four groups behind us. When they called a group that came in after us and I said "Wait a minute, we've been here a half-hour, and before them."

They told us the tables that were cleared were for three to four people and would not seat us. All of a sudden there are four groups in front of us. It turns out they only have a couple of double tables and will not allow couples to sit at the majority of tables that can hold four. Call me naive but I've never been denied a table for four as a couple. That's their policy and why you may, like us, have a long, long wait if you try to go as a couple. We chose to leave and won't be going back.

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Posted By be on February 14, 2011 7:29 PM

My new favorite restaurant. I first visited Panino's in Dec of '09 and have been back three times in less than two months (even though I live 35 miles away). The food is excellent. The eggplant appetizer is the best I've ever tasted!

They are extremely accommodating: they satisfied a request for something not listed on the menu. Love the BYOB (and the liquor store is right across the street). This is such a relaxed and family-friendly restaurant with great food for a great price.

Overall Rating

pizza

homemade bread

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Posted By Leslie A. Howard on March 1, 2007 2:11 PM

I cannot say enough WONDERFUL things about this Panino's. As soon as you enter, you no longer feel like you're in a strip mall. It's cozy and warm, with beautiful colors, just the "right" amount of lighting (even the light fixtures are pretty), and there's some pleasant 40's and 50's music playing softly in the background.

We were greeted by a (seemingly) very young hostess/waitress, who ended up being one of the best waitpersons I've seen in a long time. She was pleasant, sharp, and her timing was impeccable (something I was horrible at as a waitress when I was younger).

The food is out of this world. First, the bread and olivey olive oil... heaven on earth. If the picture in this review looks amazing, well, just imagine amazing multiplied by a million. I've never tasted such delicious bread in my life. Hot, dense, soft, with a slightly crunchy exterior. If all I had was the bread and oil, I'd still be writing this. I could have sat there all day and eaten that bread.

My mom had the vegetarian panini for her entree, and I had the antipasto for one. Both were fantastic. My mother said that the pesto mayo on her sandwich tasted like they made it from scratch minutes before they put it on her sandwich. The flavors and textures in my salad were five-star.

Our bill was under $15.00 for lunch, and I've never left a restaurant so throughly pleased for so little money. A very nice gentleman opened the door for us to exit and asked us how everything was. He mentioned that the restaurant is also BYOB, something I absolutely LOVE. I can't wait to go back for dinner SOON!

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