Wicked Good

My new friend Jillian recently moved to Kennesaw from Maine. She is a graduate student at Kennesaw State University. We met one day when she was buying furniture, and I offered to help her mom load the car. Their accents made me feel homesick and comfortable at the same time.

I saw Jillian from a few tables away at Panera in Kennesaw just a few days ago. She was working on a project with some classmates, so I didn't interrupt. I sent her a note on Facebook later to let her know I had seen her, and to say hello.

It was the second time that I had been to Panera. The food there is very good, but it is one of those places where the regulars make you feel foolish because you haven't learned how to eat there. It was pretty simple really, but with no direction and no real flow of traffic, I ended up guessing my way through the process.

The worst of it was this is another of those places that doesn't seem to want to let patrons order a la carte. Everything is a combo, whether you like it or not. Well, not everything, but the things I wanted. I ended up with nearly two full meals because I wanted a whole sandwich with my soup. Live and learn. Half sandwich next time.

Not that I'd desire a half sandwich, mind you. That tuna sandwich was wicked good. There is your tribute, Jillian and all my friends from Maine. Wicked good is the ultimate compliment for food or anything else in Northern New England. The word wicked in context means most extreme.

By the way, a lot of my friends have been singing the praises of this Panera. They tell me that all of the dishes are good and the WiFi is free (they do turn off their outlets between 11:30 and 2:30 though). The first time through might be a bit confusing, but I will be back. The food is a bit pricey but the odds of seeing friends there are wicked good.