Out on a School Night: Enjoy pasta and homemade cookies at Panes Bread Café

If you're in the mood for comfort food, look no further than Panes Bread Café on 3002 N. Sheffield Ave. (between Nelson and Wellington). The menu ranges from lunch meals, like salads and sandwiches, to yummier dinner items, like various pastas and homemade pizzas.

The café is a small place, and it's easy to pass by if you're in a hurry. Random art pieces cover every wall, along with some certificates awarded to the café for its food. There is a warm, mellow atmosphere inside that not only comes from the decorations, but also the welcoming staff.

Appetizers include stuffed mushrooms, humus con pan (served with garlic, parsley and toasted bread) and chicken quesadillas. For the vegetarians, you can choose from the fresh salads menu, which includes the tortilla salad (mixed greens with crispy tortilla strips), portabella, potato salad and spinach salad. But if you enjoy some meat in your salad, like I do, healthy options include the grilled feta chicken or turkey salad.

The sandwiches are also made fresh daily, but make no mistake—these are no flimsy Subway ones. The only problem here, however, is choosing from over a dozen delicious options. Ranging from $5-$6, the sandwich menu contains items like the Veggie Cabra, Todo Italiano, Sloppy Pollo, Spicy Philly and Oaxacan Pork.

For evening dining, Panes offers pasta that comes in big bowls for those who stay to eat. My choice was the Smoky Penne, a decision I did not regret due to the sensational combination of chicken, mushrooms and smoked cream sauce in my bowl. But it wasn't an easy decision to make; other options that I dwelled upon included the Baked Macaroni, Greek Pasta and the Fusilli (whose tempting description of cork screw pasta with grilled vegetables, olive oil and mozzarella cheese will have me going back).

But make sure to save room for dessert. Their popular Monster Cookie is truly a unique treat; the cookie's dough is purposefully baked to come out with a crazy texture and contains bits of chocolate. Other homemade pastries and cookies are also available to customers with a sweet tooth.

If Italian restaurants are too cliché for that special date, venture out to Panes. The café looks especially nice at night, when the lights are dimmed and the food looks extra tastier. But if you're looking for a romantic night in, it also offers take-out.

Panes is open Monday-Saturday from 10am-10pm, and Sunday from 9am-9pm.