For many Downtown workers, the daily debate is a stumper.

Where should we go for lunch?

That simple question -- innocuous as it may seem -- invariably leads to a slew of others. What are you hungry for? Should we go to a "nice" place or somewhere casual? How much will it cost? Should we eat out, or just bring food back to the office? How crowded will it be? How long will it take?

It's enough to make you run to the vending machine, provided you don't lose your appetite altogether.

Finding a lunch place that is consistently good, reasonably priced, clean and relatively quick is a valuable discovery that creates a moral dilemma.

Do you keep it to yourself or tell everyone else?

That's the way many regulars feel about The Panini Co., 530 E. Mason St. Adjacent to Yanni's Steakhouse and down the block from the Pfister Hotel, The Panini Co. offers a number of lunch items -- sandwiches, soups and salads -- served cafeteria style and priced in the neighborhood of $5.

As the name suggests, Panini are the specialty of the house. (The restaurant takes license by calling its selection "paninis" when "panini" is the proper plural term and "panino" is singular). The Americanization doesn't stop there, though. The Panini Co. also breaks with tradition by putting mayonnaise on its panini, which would not happen in Italy.

Panini sell for $4.75 (add $1.50 for chips and a 16-oz. drink). Choices include veggie (roasted red pepper, mushrooms, tomato, onion lettuce, provolone and pesto mayo), Italian (salami, pepperoni, roasted red pepper, lettuce, provolone, balsamic vinaigrette and pesto-mayo), Caribbean jerk turkey (turkey, bacon, tomato, lettuce, cheddar jack and Caribbean jerk sauce) and the most popular rotisserie, which features chicken, tomato, onion, lettuce, provolone and mustard-mayo.

If don't want your sandwich grilled, The Panini Co. offers subs ($4.45) that include a turkey club, ham and provolone, roast beef Italian, chicken salad and meatball and three wraps ($4.45) including a classic club (turkey, ham and bacon) and curry chicken (rotisserie chicken, roasted red pepper, toasted almonds, lettuce, cheddar-jack cheese and a curry mayo) and "ginsabi" chicken, which includes chicken, shredded broccoli, carrots, cabbage, chow mein noodles, lettuce and ginger-wasabi mayo.

Other sandwiches include a Philly cheesesteak ($5.35), tuna melt ($4.75) and a hot ham and cheese or tuna salad croissant. Tacos and nachos also are available, along with fruit cups and a handful of other pre-made items.

The Panini Co. offers four salads at $5.25 each. There is a classic Caesar (chicken, egg and asiago parmesan croutons), Asian citrus (chicken, almonds, mandarin oranges, broccoli, carrots, cabbage, chow mein noodles and sesame-citrus dressing; the popular Fiesta salad includes chicken, roasted corn, onions, peppers, tomato, olives, cheddar-jack cheese, crispy tortilla strips and a salsa-ranch dressing; the Greek salad includes tomato, onion, feta cheese, olives, pepperonicini and Greek dressing.

Soup selections vary daily, but staples include bacon cheeseburger on Tuesday, chicken pot pie on Wednesday, chicken enchilada and loaded baked potato on Thursday and seafood chowder and chicken wild rice on Friday. A 12-ounce cup of soup sells for $2.95, but its $1.50 with a sandwich. Soup in a bread bowl costs $4.75.

The Panini Co. opens at 7 a.m. and sells bagels, breakfast sandwiches and baked goods along with Starbucks Coffee. On a recent morning, attorney Marc Marotta and Argosy Foundation head Chris Abele chatted over coffee in a booth.

With a laid-back vibe, The Panini Co. is a good place for lunch or to grab a coffee or a sandwich before a downtown appointment. It is open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. The phone number is (414) 347-1473.

6 comments about this article. Post a comment / write a review.

Recent Talkbacks ...

Posted by OMCreader on Oct. 15, 2006 at 1:30 p.m. (report)

T said: The lunch was great!! I don't know if the other postings have been there in a while, but, I have been going there periodically since they opened. They have completely revamped their menu and everything is made to order and however I want. It's great.

Posted by OMCreader on Oct. 12, 2006 at 9:13 a.m. (report)

A said: You better like a lot of mayo if you go here. I thought the pannini were greasy and had way too much mayo (which they couldn't cut back on). If you are looking for a great lunch place, head to the Java Cafe on Jackson just north of Wisc Ave. The wraps and pannini there are fantastic!!

Posted by OMCreader on Oct. 6, 2006 at 5:21 p.m. (report)

N said: I almost broke a tooth on a bagel it was so hard.

Posted by OMCreader on Oct. 6, 2006 at 3:23 p.m. (report)

JJ said: The paninis are pre-made. My coworker asked for no pesto on the chicken sandwich, and they couldn't do it. We have never been back.

Posted by OMCreader on Oct. 5, 2006 at 8:35 p.m. (report)

SooterRed said: Are you kidding? First (and last) time I went here, there were some type of flies all over the soda dispensers. Food was barely average. I'm surprised this place is still open.