Five Loaves

2 Dec

I have no idea how many times I’ve been to Five Loaves (or 5 Breads as Tina calls it). It’s Lauren’s favorite restaurant and one of my favorite casual lunch spots in Charleston, as well. It’s simple, good food. Nothing pretentious or over the top—soups, sandwiches, and salads. For dinner they offer heartier options such as pastas and meat dishes. Everything I’ve ever had there is delicious (except for the chicken salad on croissant… not my favorite). Their soups are homemade, creative, and just plain yummy. Lauren’s favorite is the broccoli, potato, cheddar which she couples with the half version of the tomato and mozzarella salad (although she always replaces the mozzarella with goat cheese, which is sacrilegious, in my opinion… She says “mozzarella doesn’t taste like anything” MOZZARELLA HAS FLAVOR, LAUREN. IT’S MOZZARELLA FLAVORED. IT’S DELICIOUS. HAVE YOU NEVER HAD PIZZA BEFORE?!). I tend to stick to either the marinated chicken sandwich on baguette (which comes with the house-made mozzarella cheese, WHICH IS DELICIOUS, LAUREN) with a cup of the chicken chili.

Pickles are Satan's cucumbers. The sandwich is delicious, though

If they have a really good selection of soup that day and I have a hard time narrowing it down to just one, I opt for the 3 soup pours which allows me to sample three different soups. I strongly recommend this option if you are indecisive like me.

3 small soup pours. Ignore that pesky sandwich photo bombing the picture.

If you’re going for dinner, I recommend the tri-colored tortellini in the cracked black pepper parmesan cream sauce. It’s amazing. I’ve also had the gnocchi, which is really good. I usually get it without the golden raisins, because I don’t really like wrinkly fruit, but if you’re into that thing, go for it (just keep in mind that you and I will probably never be friends). I usually eat half of it and take the other half home to eat for lunch the next day. The portion sizes are pretty big, so you definitely won’t leave feeling hungry.

Wrinkly fruits are for wrinkly people.

I’ve also gotten the chicken parmesan, which also comes with the house-made mozzarella cheese (PEOPLE LOVE MOZZARELLA CHEESE, LAUREN. IT’S NOT JUST ME. YOU’RE THE ONE WHO’S CRAZY), but I don’t really love their tomato sauce that comes on the pasta. I find it kind of bland. The fried goat cheese appetizer is really good if you like goat cheese (which I do). I’ve also had some of their other appetizers. Becca usually gets the turkey sandwich with the cranberry mayo on whole wheat. Tina usually gets the same thing I get (which drives me crazy. I hate getting the same thing as other people at restaurants. I don’t know why. I just do).

Lauren: This is what delicious looks like. Take note. There will be a quiz later.

Anywho. I love Five Loaves. It’s a great place to eat if you’re not looking to eat something super heavy. I love it, and Becca—unless you’ve already picked a place before I get to R&A, I will always choose Five Loaves for our lunch dates. Just FYI. I’m so excited to go eat there tonight with Lauren for her birthday dinner before we go out celebrating. Only maybe she’ll get something a little heavier so that we don’t have a repeat of Halloweekend (HINTHINT NUDGENUDGE, LAUREN. EAT SOME FREAKING BREAD).