Panache/Wine and Cheese Gallery

5 Thumbs up (really good, locally run sandwich shop with great bread and plenty of variety on the menu). They're only open for a few hours around lunchtime. The wine/beer/gourmet store is open for more regular business hours.

Price Range: the sandwiches range from 6-10 bucks.

Menu Highlights: Apple, Brie, and cinnamon on french bread was pretty delicious

Panache is somewhat of a hidden gem in Gainesville. It's so hidden and oft overlooked, in fact, that I've only eaten there twice in 8 years. There really is no reason not to be a regular, as they have very tasty sandwiches and excellent bread. The menu is quite varied and features many vegetarian options. I tried the apple, brie, and cinnamon sandwich on a fresh french baguette. The sandwich was extremely rich and sumptuous with the bread being the surprising highlight. It definitely wasn't healthy, but I did enjoy it.

The atmosphere of the dining room is a little weird/sterile to me, but the rest of the shop makes up for that 10 fold. After you eat, peruse the amazing selection of fine wines, cheeses, and gourmet items. The owners are extremely knowledgeable about everything they sell and even won a "best wine store in the state" award. You can head there for Happy Hour on friday afternoons for a light cheese/bread menu and a great selection of wine and beer. They also do themed tastings that correspond with the happy hours. You can sample from about 8 wines that are related by region or style and then if you end up buying a bottle, you get a discount.

My only problem with the whole place is that I only really need one good wine/beer/gourmet store to get me by, and I typically go to Dorn's as it's right by my house. That being said, I can't take anything away from the good folks at the Wine and Cheese Gallery/Panache, as they do a bang up job.

It certainly should be in your regular lunch repertoire.

Las Margaritas

4401 Northwest 25 Place



2.5 Thumbs up (certain items can be really good while others range from just so-so to disappointing. As long as you get the right thing, you should be satisfied).

Price Range: The a-la-carte menu can get you by for under 5 bucks, full meals range from 8-15.

Menu Highlights: The Vegetarian Burrito is sumptuous. Also you can't beat the 36 ounce mugs of beer for less than 5 bucks each. The a-la-carte tacos can be good, but see below.

Personally, I have entirely different attitudes towards "sit down" Mexican food and Tex-Mex. I love Tex-Mex because it's usually quick, fresh, tasty, and not overwhelming. Sit down Mexican, on the other hand, tends to be heavier. Maybe it's the readily available and bottomless baskets of chips and salsa that push me over the edge or the cheesier dishes with ample sides of beans and rice, but sit down Mexican is rarely at the top of my list for for dinner plans. I took this attitude into my eating experiences at Las Margs (as it's affectionately referred to) and wasn't impressed for years. After some close friends repeatedly professed undying and unyielding infatuation with the place, I decided to give it another go.

As most Mexican dishes are just a permutation of tortillas, beans, meat, rice, and tomatoes, you can typically find a very satisfying vegetarian menu if you just leave the meat out. In fact, Las Margs does have a very solid, specifically vegetarian section on their menu. My favorite is the vegetarian burrito, which is stuffed with sauteed vegetables (peppers, onions, mushrooms), queso blanco, and a delicious red wine sauce. It's served with large sides of beans and rice. The meal will fill you up for a good half day and it only costs 6.55. The sauce is really good and tangy and the vegetables are always very savory.

So, why only 2.5 thumbs up (out of 5?). Well, here again, we get into my issues with sit down Mexican. The air is saturated with deep fried vapor. You'll leave smelling like Las Margs until you heavily bathe. Also, I had a lackluster experience in preparation for this review. I was fully committed to giving them a solid 3.5-4 thumbs up, but after ordering the tacos pictured above, I was sorely disappointed. The shells were stale and chewy. It's not even that they were soggy. They were old. I didn't send them back, although I should have.

Fortunately for me, the chips were awesome as always. But are we really going out to eat in order to get free chips?