The Panera Strawberry Chicken Caprese Salad and Croque Monsieur Croissant Toast were new items that we tried earlier this summer. Finally getting my review posted before it’s officially fall.

Strawberry Chicken Caprese Salad

In the Panera Strawberry Chicken Caprese salad, there are mixed greens and arugula tossed in balsamic vinaigrette, topped with grilled chicken, strawberries, fresh mozzarella, basil and toasted pecan pieces. For anyone who likes a peppery green, arugula is probably fine, but it tastes like dirt to me so I’d suggest to skip this one if you’re not an arugula fan. The cheese was slightly grainy but not terrible. Chicken was the standard that they offer for salads, nothing exceptional. I’m not sure even the full size portion of this would fill someone up. I noticed online when I was looking into the ingredients that people on Reddit were hating on this salad. Was hoping for something new, exciting and tasty—unfortunately this salad isn’t it.

Croque Monsieur Croissant Toast

On the other hand, their new sandwich was extremely flavorful. It has Black Forest ham, provolone and Asiago cheese, with a caramelized onion and Gruyere spread on Panera’s Croissant Toast. First couple bites in and I was impressed by the texture and flavor. But the toast is so rich and heavy that it quickly gets overwhelming. Ended up removing half the bread just to finish. Tastes good, but a side of tomato or veggie soup would really help balance the richness. Their Fromage Croissant Toast would be a better option, but unfortunately we only got to try the Croque Monsieur version. Both are now retired, but there is a high chance they’ll bring back something similar in the future.

For me, neither dish is must-try. The salad was okay, and the croissant toast is best paired with soup. Worth tasting once if you’re curious or want something different, but they are not my favorite choices. I am a fan of them adding new items and testing out different flavors, so hopefully we see them continue to innovate.