Salad Bar Question

[kimbaby]

When you make that trip to the salad bar at your favoritte Resturant,what are you most likely to put on your plate?

[kimbaby]

I always get a little lettuce,cukes,peaches topped with catalina dressing and bacon bits with a few crutons... once in a while purple onions

[BigDog]

At a restaurant is about the only time I eat rabbit food, er, salad.

I'm game for lettuce, particularly darker greens if available. Add some cukes, carrot, onion (whatever color is available, or all if multiple available, including green), maybe some celery, bell pepper, maybe some sprouts, cheese, sunflower seeds (maybe other nuts if available as well), bacon bits and croutons. Topped with some rendition of Italian or similar dressing. If it is a higher end restaurant, I'll toss some baby spinach in if available.

Not a big fan of meat (other than bacon bits) on salad, unless it's chicken caesar salad.

[buckytom]

spinach leaves, romaine leaves, scallions, cukes, grape tomatoes, chick peas, alfalfa sprouts, broccoli, baby carrots, hard boiled eggs, bacon bits, sunflower seeds, topped with blue cheese dressing, or french, with pickled beets, potato salad, and chicken liver pate', and some good brown bread on the side.

a local restaurant chain called "charlie brown's" has the best salad bar around.
the next best is at the "wobbly barn" on the main road up to killington.

[Brianschef]

Everything but the lettuces, if they have fresh spinach I will go after that.

[pdswife]

lettuce, Mushrooms, Bacon bits onions, Tomatoes cukes, mushrooms, mushrooms, and did I mention mushrooms yet??

[Constance]

I start with whatever greens they have, and add any combination of the following: cherry tomatoes, bacon bits (if they're real) or bits of chopped ham, olives, mushrooms, grated cheese, sprouts, and creamy Italian or bleu cheese dressing. If they have beets, I get a few of those too.
We went to a very nice restaurant in Louisville, Ky once (New Orleans House) that had wonderful things like marinated fresh asparagus spears and artichoke hearts on their salad bar.

[AndreainDC]

greens - spinach or romaine - with mushrooms, greek olives, feta, garbanzo beans, cucumbers, and red and yellow peppers. For dressing I choose balsamic vinegar with olive oil, and salt and pepper. I love tomatoes, but they are generally so awful at salad bars that I usually avoid them... If they have them, I will get roasted or grilled vegetables (onion, zucchini, asparagus, etc.) on the side.

[grumblebee]

I usually like little nibbles of things rather than an actual "salad" from the salad bar. My plate usually will have:

~pickled beets
~olives (ripe and manzanilla, if they have both)
~pickles
~pickled pearl onions
~scoop of cottage cheese
~cucumber slices
~carrot sticks
~small blob of vegetable dip

I love pickled foods and veggies... yum!

[Andy M.]

It appears I'm the only one who dislikes salad bars. I prefer to order from a menu and be served.

[SierraCook]

spinach, mixed greens, kidney beans, cucumbers, green onions, olives, tomatoes, pepperonicini, cauliflower, antipasto salad, shrimp, radishes, bean sprouts, artichoke hearts, cheese, ham, etc.

One of the best salad bars locally is at the Atlantis Casino in Reno, NV.

[Michelemarie]

iceburg lettuce, cheddar cheese, grape tomatoes, mushrooms, sunflower seeds, raisins, shredded cabbage, a whole hardboiled egg or two (only like the white) and lots of ranch dressing on the side for dipping.

[thumpershere2]

Most salad bars don't look to appealing. Most are messy from people dropping salads all over. Don't do them to often but if I do I like pickled harring, green olives, cottage cheese, sm amount of lettuce with ranch dressing, onions,cheese, crutons.

[lyndalou]

Like Andy, I prefer to be served when we go out for a meal. BUT.. when I do go to a salad bar place, I peruse the entire thing and take whatever looks freshest. Just a small amount so that I don't spoil my appetite for the main event.

I do the same with buffets . I scout the whole thing, then decide because they usually put the "fillers" out first and you fill a plate with those, and don't get much of the good stuff.

Lyndalou

[Constance]

Originally Posted by Andy M.

It appears I'm the only one who dislikes salad bars. I prefer to order from a menu and be served.

You're not the only one...I also prefer to be served, Andy. For one thing, it's hard to walk with a cane and fill my plate at the same time.

[AlexR]

Salad bars virtually do not exist where I live, and I miss them, having grown up in the US.
(Heck, I even remember the time before sneezeguards!)

In fact, I often come across tourists in France who are fed up with overly rich food and who absolutley crave something like a salad bar.
Of course, the key to this all is that the French don't eat every meal at a restaurant! Evening meals tend to be light, and there are always fruit and vegetables available at home.

I love salad bars in America. I go for cottage cheese (virtually unavailable here), croutons (as long as they're not the disgusting industrial kind), thinly sliced red onion rings, cherry tomatoes, all sorts of greens, cucumber, olives, etc.
Salad dressings at chains can be extremely variable, but I have found some good Italian and Caesar salad dresssings. As for th "French" or "Russian" dressing, far too sweet for me.

Best regards,
Alex R.

[auntdot]

Agree with Andy, do not like salad bars.

But sometimes we have no choice than to go to a place with a buffet, or salad bar.

Agree with lyndalou, we always first cruise the whole line and then decide what we want.

The restaurant folks always make a bunch of money from us because we do not eat very much.

But we try to make a plate of the tastiest items there.

Generally the good struff is towards the end of the line.

But sometimes sitting down and being served is not an option.

But we much prefer to be served.