TX, Houston, Panini (sandwiches and salads)

711 Louisiana, Houston, TX 77002 (underneath Pennzoil Tower)

There is much fast food available in the tunnels that join the buildings of downtown Houston. There is, of course, a Starbucks every second or third building, but fortunately most of the restaurants and sandwich shops are run by entrepreneurs content to make a living between 11:00 and 3:00, five days a week.

One such sandwich shop is Panini. Panini means sandwich in Italian and at Panini’s there are sandwiches galore as well as pizza and salads. The sandwiches generally are excellent - I particularly like the Lamb Roast with lettuce, tomato and melted cheese – and many of the sandwiches are available in half sizes. There’s not much ambience and only three small tables, but there is usually room to sit in the courtyard outside the shop and watch the office workers swarm past on their way to a favorite eatery or making haste to a meeting in another building.

Sandwiches are made to order on wheat, white, flat or Italian Ciabatta bread. Grab chips from the display behind the pillar, pick a drink from the refrigerator and stand in line to order your Club or Roast Beef or Chicken Salad sandwich or Chef salad.

The sandwiches are made quickly and for seven or eight dollars, (four dollars if you have half a sandwich and no drink or chips) the hunger pangs are staved off once again and energy returns so one can face another afternoon staring at disembodied numbers – and a few words – on a computer screen.