My New Lunch Obsession: Pret a Manger

A new job in a new part of town inevitably means having to find new places for lunch. Sure, your typical Corner Bakeries and Potbellys and whatnot abound, but there is no cafeteria in my new building to fix a simple salad and no Hannah's Bretzel or Chicago's Downtown Farmstand (RIP) for my Au Naturale fix.

It was more of an accident than anything else the first time I wandered into Pret a Manger. I had never been inside one before-- it's entirely possible I've never seen one before-- but it's funny how once you discover a place you can't un-discover it. I feel like now I see them everywhere. And that's a good thing! Pret is totally one of those au naturale fast food places that Michael Pollan was referencing when he answered my travel question. They sell sandwiches, salads, soups, and snacky things but everything is made fresh in-house daily, with organic when they can get it, and sourced locally as much as possible. The best part? They don't carry anything over day by day. If they have leftover food at closing, they donate it to local food shelters. As I've said in previous posts: good for my body and my conscience. You can even see how they react in real-time with employees constantly coming out of the back kitchen bearing freshly-made items to restock any items that are running low. It's nice to know that my Farmer's Market salad (my current lunch obsession de jour) hasn't been sitting and wilting since 9am. Only once have I entered to find them out of my choice, and when one friendly employee saw me hovering, he asked what I was waiting for then scurried into the back and had someone prepare the salad for me immediately. Great customer service! The prices are pretty reasonable, too.

Anyway, that's my new discovery and shout out for the day. I'm glad Pret exists, and I'm even more glad I found it in my new work 'hood. I certainly haven't explored all that is out there in regards to other potential au naturale options; I can sometimes become a creature of habit and I expect my current obsession with the Farmers Market salad to last a while until I decide I JUST CAN'T have it one day more. Perhaps as the weather gets better I will be more apt to venture out of the 3 or 4 block radius I've carved for myself. But until then, I've found my fix.