By Anne Chovey
Special to The Herald-Mail
Paninis & Coffee Bar has a great location just across from the Court House at 96 W. Washington St. in downtown Hagerstown.
The restaurant has a polished, almost European look from the outside, with a small table and chairs near the door. Inside, the look continues with dark wood and painted plaster.
What captured my eye immediately was the beautifully tiled floor, harkening back to a time when the building was the posh Hamilton Hotel.
The hotel was built in the late 1870s and must have been something to see in its prime. It is obvious that the restaurant was lovingly restored or remodeled to give it a classy look.
Pap and I recently ventured in for lunch, and I was impressed by the look of the place. I don’t know the history, but I recall that the renovations were the work of a previous owner who closed up shop a number of months ago.
Tables and chairs are set in the middle of the dining room with a couple of comfy chairs to one side. A small book shelf offers reading material and information.
Orders are placed at the counter at the back of the room. Some of the offerings are painted on framed areas above the counter.
Unfortunately, the menu items must have been from the previous owner, as some have been blocked out. It is too bad, as it spoils what is initially a great impression.
Paninis serves breakfast and lunch and stays open long enough for an early dinner.
Breakfast consists of mostly egg or cheese sandwiches along with bagels and muffins. Cappuccino, espresso and latte are also available.
Pap and I were there for lunch. The lunch menu has both hot and cold paninis and a range of sandwiches, all for $6.
The paninis have Italian names like the Pisa, which is chicken breast, bacon, baby greens and tomato, or the Siena, which is turkey, avocado, baby greens, red onions and tomato.
Sandwiches include turkey and cheese, tuna salad and chicken Caesar wrap. There are also some hot options like grilled cheese and hot ham and cheese.
Pap and I both decided on hot paninis. He got the Lucca: roast beef, provolone, baby greens and horseradish. I picked the Napoli: turkey, swiss cheese, bacon and Dijon mustard.
Next to the counter on the left were some amazing looking cookies. A few were nearly the size of plates. On the right side of the counter were green salads, macaroni and potato salad. These were packaged in individual plastic containers. Pap chose a side salad and I got potato salad.
While we waited for the paninis, Pap and I sat and ate our salads. His “side” salad was very generous in size and was crammed full of a variety of vegetables: lettuces, cucumber, carrot and tomato, all very fresh.
My potato salad was also pretty big. It had nice-sized chunks of potato (I hate it when the pieces are too big to eat in one bite or so small the salad turns to paste) plus sliced celery. The flavor was slightly sweet, but not too sweet. I don’t really like a sweet, potato salad and this one merely hinted at pickle relish. It also had a nice, zesty, mustard finish.
The paninis were brought to the table. I was slightly disappointed at the bread. It was an ordinary slice of white bread. However, it did have the distinctive Panini grill marks and was crispy.
The flavor was quite nice. The cheese had melted, the bacon was firm and the Dijon added a tart contrast. I liked it. The plate was also full of potato chips and a pickle.
Also decorating the plate was one slice of red apple and one slice of green apple.
I thought that was a unique and delightful touch. They were crispy and good, too.
Pap liked the Lucca. The horseradish added a zing to the roast beef. His sandwich too was crisp on the outside and melted on the inside. He liked the apple slices along with the pickle and chips.
Paninis is a great downtown lunch option. Or to stop in for an afternoon cappuccino and cookie. And check out its amazing floor.
Anne Chovey is a pseudonym for a Herald-Mail freelance writer who reviews restaurants anonymously to avoid special treatment.
Paninis & Coffee Bar
3 (out of 5)
Food: 3
Service: 2 (the restaurant is designed to be self-serve)
Ambiance: 3 1/2
Value: 3
Address: 96 W. Washington St. in downtown Hagerstown.
Phone: 301-733-5550
Hours: Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Food: Paninis, sandwiches and salads. Other than the lettuce salad or grilled cheese, no real vegetarian options.
Parking and handicapped accessibility: Patrons would need to park at meters on the street near the restaurant or at the parking decks some distance away. As an old building, the restaurant may prove challenging to patrons with mobility issues. There is a ramp off Summit Avenue to enter the building.
Reservations: Not necessary.
Facebook: Paninis & Coffee Bar can be found at www.facebook.com/pages/Paninis- Coffee-Bar
