It's Happening: Super Salads
By Julie Perine on February 04, 2018 from It’s Happening
I’ve been accused of being part rabbit and my family says I eat leaves, but the truth is I just love a good green salad. As my family frequents our local restaurants, I’ve discovered a favorite salad at each; well, sometimes more than one favorite. I didn’t want to keep all this delectable information to myself, so I’ve made a list of my personal favorites at some of our wonderful eateries in Bridgeport and surrounding area. So - in no particular order - here goes:
1. Gourmet Café: There is a chicken feta salad on the menu that is very good, but you can also order the same salad with salmon. On a bed of greens – heavy with iceberg lettuce – is plenty of mouth-watering feta cheese, pecans, dried cranberries, tomato wedges and what I consider the world’s perfect food, salmon. I eat this salad with house Italian dressing, but other options are available. It is served with saltine crackers. I also like to get a fountain drink at the Gourmet. Diet Pepsi topped off with just a little lemonade is my pick.
2. Twin Oaks: I won’t argue that Twin Oaks has ah-mazing pizza. The men in my family are big fans of their hoagies, too. But when we go on our Friday night dates to this locally-owned establishment, I always ask Mrs. “Aunt Annie” Renzelli – a server very dear to our hearts – to bring me a salad. I go back and forth between an antipasto and a steak salad. They both feature iceberg lettuce and tomatoes; the antipasto served on a plate and relished with sliced mozzarella cheese, green olives, pepperoni and peppercinis. The steak salad has layers of thinly-sliced meat; in a generous amount, I might add. I also ask for shredded mozzarella and they pile it on high. Though the ingredients are great, it’s the Twin Oaks house Italian dressing that puts this one over the edge.
3. Oliverio’s Ristorante: Jeff and I have frequented Oliverio’s since it was Sonny’s Pizza back in the day. And though I have a soft spot for the pizza and other staple items we used to enjoy after a late-1970s high school ballgame, my current favorite menu item is the chopped salad with – as you might guess – salmon. I love the option of getting the greens chopped with every fork full just the right amount. Top that with vine-ripe tomatoes, green and black olives, garbanzo beans “chickpeas” and broiled Atlantic salmon in teriyaki-citrus glaze – all drizzled with house Italian dressing - and I’m a happy girl. Occasionally, I opt for a Caprese salad – a bed of arugula garnished with roasted red peppers, Reggiano, tomatoes, basil and fresh mozzarella. You can get salmon on that, too.
4. Muriale’s: A few years ago, I discovered Papa Frankie’s Asparagus Salad; a bed of spring greens topped with bleu cheese, pickled eggs, balsamic onion, roasted red peppers, tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and a few stalks of cooked, yet crisp asparagus. I was hooked from day one. You can top it with chicken, steak, shrimp or salmon and I always go with the latter. As is universal, I order the house Italian dressing.
5. Sunet Ellis: We are Sunday afternoon regulars at the Sunset Ellis in Shinnston. Our family often hits up the family-owned eatery following church services. We love everything on the menu, but we generally start our meal with a trip to the salad bar. In addition to lettuce, tomatoes, Italian olives, pickled beets, croutons, shredded cheese and house Italian dressing, there are lots of other perks, which depending on my mood, sometimes make it on my salad plate. Yes, I always make the return trip for more. In the summertime, the Ellis also features some specialty salads, my favorite featuring chicken, walnuts, berries and assorted lettuces and other greens.
6. Ali’s Mediterranean Cuisine: I love a good Greek salad and Ali’s has one that is just tops. They start with romaine lettuce, add red onion, black olives, tomatoes and crumbled feta cheese and drizzle it with a little olive oil and splash of lemon juice.
7. I’m also a fan of Panera’s Modern Greek Salad with Quinoa. Lettuce is great, but even better when blended with other greens. In this case, it’s a mix of romaine and kale; a great start to any salad. Add in grape tomatoes, Kalamata olives and I’m even more interested. Panera tops this particular salad with almonds and quinoa, a high-protein seed derived from plants cultivated in South America.
These are just a few of my favorites. I’d like to hear about yours, too, so free to comment on this story.
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