A few places that I think you might like...

Jubilee Juice, 140 N. Halsted

Ponte Fresco, in the 233 N. Michigan pedway - actually sounds a lot like the place you were describing, not quite as concerned about sourcing ingredients I'm sure, but otherwise...

and I second the Soprafina suggestion - good lunch salads

To make up for my snarkiness, I thought I'd go in search of a good salad to tell Dr. K about. I found one.

Smoked Duck Salad, Markethouse:


It had roasted Michigan pears, local arugula and mizuna, Minnesota wild rice which provided great texture and earthy flavor, creme fraiche with herbs from the 5th floor garden, crunchy endive, and superb, smoky duck slices that weren't so smoky that the duck flavor had to take a back seat.


Markethouse
300 E Ohio St
(312) 787-7337

Kenny, I had a bad meal at Markethouse a few weeks ago that made me question your taste after you wrote a glowing review of the place, but with this picture and description, as well as Markethouse's proximity to my school, I am obliged to give it a second chance and it is now at the top of my lunch list in the next few weeks. Bravo.

Habibi wrote:Kenny, I had a bad meal at Markethouse a few weeks ago that made me question your taste after you wrote a glowing review of the place, but with this picture and description, as well as Markethouse's proximity to my school puts, I am obliged to give it a second chance and it is now at the top of my lunch list in the next few weeks. Bravo.

I actually thought your post about the bad meal was fair: I think Markethouse has excellent chefs who are trying to overcome a stifling corporate environment. On any given day, one or the other might win out at the table. For example, while the salad was great, they've replaced the excellent fennel-raisin bread I had on a previous visit with horrible packaged dinner rolls. It seems like a restaurant that needs some time to settle in before it figures out what it wants to be.

I just don't like spring mix because its usually limp and like eating weeds from the garden. I prefer crispy crunchy salads with greens such as romaine. I don't mind a mix of greens but I hate a salad made of spring mix.

Great post, Dr. K - I'm always on the lookout for delicious salads, too! Here are some places that I like:
M. Henry in Andersonville on Clark Street
Uncommon Ground on Clark (Sunshine Salad is awesome!!)
Jane's in Bucktown
Fred's restaurant on the top floor of Barney's dep't store
Pierrot Gourmet on the first floor of Peninsula Hotel

Enjoy and please post any discoveries you come up with!

My wife and I have found the salads at higher end steak joints are very good, especially the onese with a poached egg on top. We also used to make nearly weekly outings to Tucci Benuch for what used to be on thier menu: asparagus, lemon, bacon, and goat cheese salad. We've been searching high and low for four years now for a recreation of that salad.

G Wiv wrote:LTH,

A new healthier dawn at LTHForum, no more rip your head off discussions about pizza, hot dogs, garlic in the carbonara, for the first time in 5-years we have a little kerfuffle over salad. A mini-kerfuffle, but a kerfuffle none the less.

What's next, knives drawn over seitan?

My seitan drive a 600 Benz
Your seitan got no friends
My seitan fry up so tasty
Your seitan make the girls go pasty




Enjoy,
Gary

Noting like a kerfuffle over salad. I love this place

Alright, I'll say it: I like the salad bar at Whole Foods at lunchtime. I work near the WF in Deerfield, which is always clean, well stocked, and fresh. Overpriced? Well, yeah. I just stay away from the weightier items like pasta salad and usually manage to get out the door for $8 or less. But I think it has a good mix of ingredients, and it's never exactly the same. Plus, I dig the sesame tofu from the hot bar and often throw it on top of the greens. And if you're really splurging, you can get a gigantic bottle of water for $1.29 that will probably last you the rest of the day.

vickyp wrote:The menu for XOCO has a few salads, which I can only assume would be prepared with the same attention as those at Frontera. I haven't been there, so I'd love to hear from someone who has tried one of the salads.

I had the XOCO salad with carnitas a few weeks ago. It was very pleasant--super fresh and straightforward, good ratios of ingredients, surprisingly filling.

Lately, I've been annoyed by the fact so many restaurant salads include (ridiculous amounts of) meats and cheeses. At least near my office in Highland Park, it seems that a lot of places rely on these items too heavily. I suppose they do this because some people are easily duped into believing that as long as it's a salad, it's healthful, no matter what's in it. A salad with bacon, cheese, fried chicken breast and/or salami probably sells a lot better than one that doesn't. The problem is that most meatless salads in our neck of the woods are sad, perfunctory renditions that mostly contain iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber and croutons out of a box. I find it rare when any sort of creativity, resourcefulness or care are put into a restaurant's salad offerings. There are a couple of places that put out a few quality salads but given how health-obsessed people are in this part of the world, I find it curious and irritating how hard it is to find a good salad.

=R=

Like the one immediately upthread, covered in carnitas and avocado?

-Dan

I miss Zoom Kitchen. I loved all of the stuff you could put in their salad, plus they introduced me to Red Hen Bread.

ronnie_suburban wrote:Lately, I've been annoyed by the fact so many restaurant salads include (ridiculous amounts of) meats and cheeses. At least near my office in Highland Park, it seems that a lot of places rely on these items too heavily. I suppose they do this because some people are easily duped into believing that as long as it's a salad, it's healthful, no matter what's in it. A salad with bacon, cheese, fried chicken breast and/or salami probably sells a lot better than one that doesn't. The problem is that most meatless salads in our neck of the woods are sad, perfunctory renditions that mostly contain iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber and croutons out of a box. I find it rare when any sort of creativity, resourcefulness or care are put into a restaurant's salad offerings. There are a couple of places that put out a few quality salads but given how health-obsessed people are in this part of the world, I find it curious and irritating how hard it is to find a good salad.

=R=

You're dead right, Ronnie - I've been trying to eat a salad for lunch every day - I'm kind of amazed how I can be satisfied with so much less - and I make them at home, so to make a meal I round them out with a bit of cheese (today, I crumbled up a round of goat cheese - so we're talking less than an ounce) and a bit of nuts, maybe a leftover bit of meat (like a quarter portion of a steak we had for dinner - about 2 oz, I guess.) This in no way reflects the standard "dinner salad" at a restaurant, which generally has four or five ounces of cheese, and an 8-10 ounce portion of meat. That doesn't include the salad dressings, which are of course fatty - but offered in portion sizes that are just staggering - those little cups, if you order "on the side" which might represent what goes on your salad if you didn't, are usually 2-4 oz.

The last restaurant salad I had that I felt was both healthy and satisfying was the salad with pesto dressing at Kuma's. It doesn't have a lot of frills, but it's a good salad, well-dressed with a terrific dressing (I wouldn't make a meal of it, but then I wouldn't try to eat only salad if I was at Kuma's)

Swim Cafe makes my favorite- and quite healthful- salad around my neck of the woods. Their Summer Salad has a base of mesclun tossed with tomato, red onion, avocado, hearts of palm, and sunflower seeds. Dressing is served on the side- a thick, tahini based green goddess. Its a very ample portion and a surprisingly filling lunch. Sometimes a vegan meal is what the body orders and this is my go-to.

Swim Cafe
1357 West Chicago Avenue
Chicago, IL 60642-5761
(312) 492-8600

Hi,

Marias' Bakery in Highwood has an excellent salad with a homemade dressing rich in olive oil:



I was impressed with the salads at Greek Feast in Northbrook:



Their menu advises they use Romaine lettuce in their Greek Salad.

Regards,

Dr K,

I think you might enjoy the salads at Birchwood Kitchen. I know I do, and I'm a huge salad enthusiast, especially this time of year.

There are several prepared salads that you'll find in the cold case up front. But I know you're talking about a good old-fashioned salad salad: the kind with greens, veggies, a nicely combined dressing, and perhaps some adornments that don't distract from the leafy, fresh foundation of the thing.

Anyway, Birchwood's basic green salad (simply called "greens") is a thing of beauty: mixed leafy lettuce (not lacking in crunch), paper-thin shaved beets, nuts, seeds, and a citrus chive vinaigrette. Give it a whirl.

One last thing: Birchwood's food is much better than their website. Please don't hold it against them.

Birchwood Kitchen
2211 W. North Ave

C2, not sure if this applies to the salad from Greek Feast but I usually hate tomatoes when they are out of season. I generally think they're not worth eating. That said, I did enjoy the one salad I had there (which didn't feature tomatoes so prominently). Did you find the tomatoes in the salad you posted above to be decent?

=R=

ChristyP wrote:Anyway, Birchwood's basic green salad (simply called "greens") is a thing of beauty: mixed leafy lettuce (not lacking in crunch), paper-thin shaved beets, nuts, seeds, and a citrus chive vinaigrette. Give it a whirl.

This is exactly what I'm talking about. I wish more places (especially near my office) would turn out interesting salads like this.

=R=

Jefe wrote:Sometimes a vegan meal is what the body orders and this is my go-to.

I agree. This salad sounds delicious.

=R=

I usually always start my meal at TAC Quick with either Fish Maw Salad or Mouse Ear Salad. Those are the only salads that "speak to me" haha

ronnie_suburban wrote:

ChristyP wrote:Anyway, Birchwood's basic green salad (simply called "greens") is a thing of beauty: mixed leafy lettuce (not lacking in crunch), paper-thin shaved beets, nuts, seeds, and a citrus chive vinaigrette. Give it a whirl.

This is exactly what I'm talking about. I wish more places (especially near my office) would turn out interesting salads like this.

=R=

Admittedly not near your office, but for anyone in the Loop/River North, The Artisan Cellar in the Merchandise Mart (probably the best thing in the Mart) has creative salads just like this ($7.50 per). They rotate daily (usually posted here (Warning: Twitter)) and usually contain no meat, though you can add chicken for I think $3. I've had some amazing salads here, my favorite probably being this one, from a while back: "Mixed greens, Orange slices, Figs, Dates, Fresh Tarragon, Walnuts, and a Creamy Fennel Dressing". They're dressed very well too, with no pool of liquid at the bottom, and usually come with a couple slices of toasted baguette, which I think is a nice touch.

The Hopleaf had an amazing salad like 2 years ago that still haunts me. It was a pile of arugula, grapefruit supremes, maybe pine nuts? or walnuts? and a ton of pepper in a light vinagrette. It was piled on top of a sort of custard made with goat cheese- the custard thing was like 1/4 inch thick, and cut out in a circle with a fluted edge. OMG, it was delish. Yummy, light, goat cheese in every bite, but not heavy at all. I am sure the rest of their salads are just as good.

This is their current salad:
Red Cabbage
w/Belgian endive, pistachios, Honeycrisp apples, golden raisins, mache, spiced yogurt vinaigrette

I would totally hit that.

ronnie_suburban wrote:C2, not sure if this applies to the salad from Greek Feast but I usually hate tomatoes when they are out of season. I generally think they're not worth eating. That said, I did enjoy the one salad I had there (which didn't feature tomatoes so prominently). Did you find the tomatoes in the salad you posted above to be decent?

=R=

Ron,

It was not a mealy styrofoam winter tomato. If the tomato had any faults, it was hidden in the whole composition. I thought the extra care to remove tomato's seeds is an effort rarely seen commercially or at home. One striking theme in the Greek Feast is high marks for the salad (despite not having anchovies).

Regards,

I love the Epinards Spinach Salad at Bistro Margot, fresh spinach with perfectly cooked shrimp, roast red bell peppers, goat cheese which is liberally, and literally, pepppered with coarse black pepper, and warm bacon dressing. Fresh bread and delicious butter come with, a very filling salad meal for around $10. In the restaurant you get 5 shrimp, when I do takeout, there will be either 4 or 5 shrimp. When I get 4 shrimp, I am pretty sure someone in the kitchen has "put a grip" on the fifth shrimp! Still plenty filling.

Have to give credit when it's due. Michael's in Highland Park has a completely acceptable create-your-own salad program. You can order greens (a mix of iceberg and romaine) in 3 sizes and select from a huge variety of different ingredients from several categories -- Fresh Veggies and Toppings (self-explanatory), Special Choices (mostly meats and chicken/tuna salad, falafel) and Crunchies (sunflower seeds, wontons, fried onions, etc.) -- to add into them. You can also order the salads whole or chopped and they're served with a decent-quality whole wheat roll. They also offer a good variety of pre-designed 'off the rack' salads, too.

Today for lunch, I had a medium greens with edamame, corn, roasted red peppers and sunflower seeds. There are over a dozen dressings available (several low and non-fat), too, although I typically make my own in the office. Today the greens were not fantastic but still very good. A few odd leaves were a bit wilty but overall, the salad was fine. More often than not, though, the greens are very fresh, with no sogginess or browning to them.

=R=

Michael's Chicago-Style Red Hots
1879 2nd Street
Highland Park, IL 60035
(847) 432-3338

Would second the salads at Sopraffina in the loop.

Also the Medici in Hyde Park has surprisingly good salads. A friend of mine loves the Garbage Salad there, but I'm partial to the Ensalata Kimba (greens, romaine, pecans, red pepper, granny smith apple, bleu cheese (I sub for goat or feta), croutons, balsamic pesto vinaigrette).

Would also second Lula for good salad.

(And, while I've never done salad at the Publican, I think they have some of the best veggie dishes in town).

I have to admit that while it may not be quite what you're looking for, the salads at Panera are great. Try the Fuji Apple Chicken...

Lately I've been getting the Macho Pica Pica salad at Cosina on Foster. It is mixed greens with corn, tortilla strips, and avocado. All the ingredients are very fresh, and the dressing is a spicy chile vinaigrette that is really flavorful without being too spicy.

Cosina
1706 W Foster Ave
Chicago, IL 60640
(773) 271-7103

PitaChip wrote:Alright, I'll say it: I like the salad bar at Whole Foods at lunchtime. I work near the WF in Deerfield, which is always clean, well stocked, and fresh. Overpriced? Well, yeah. I just stay away from the weightier items like pasta salad and usually manage to get out the door for $8 or less.

When I worked in River North I used to go to the WF salad bar a lot - not bad at all. In the summer I'd bring my own garden cucumbers into work and add them to the salad when I got back to my desk. It cut the price of the salad significantly.

I had some tacos at Big Star yesterday, and yes, they were delicious. But I loved their salad so much I am seriously thinking about having it again today for lunch. Crispy lettuce, toasted pepitas, radishes, onions, avocado, fresh mint and a perfectly-balanced lime-chile (I think) dressing.

The Cheesecake Factory makes very nice California style salad's. I also like California Pizza Kitchen for a Cobb salad.
I really like the chopped salad's with crayfish at Papadieux.