SELECTS

America’s Top 10 Best Salads

Vietnamese Salad – There are salads, and then there are salads. The Vietnamese Salad at Ching’s Table Restaurant in New Canaan , Connecticut is a culinary wonderment all on its own. The taste of this salad combined with the visual appeal it offers rightfully earns it place on America ’s Best Salad List. Ingredients include fresh shredded jicama and mango; thin dried rice noodles, ground peanuts, and just touch of jalapeno. The flavorful duck dressing adds the finishing touch to this masterpiece salad. Ching’s Table, New Canaan , Connecticut , www.chingsrestaurant.com.

Spinach Walnut Salad – This delightful salad accomplishes the impossible with very simple ingredients. Starting with baby spinach leaves, grilled pear slices, crumbled Maytag blue cheese, bits of red onion, sour dough croutons and tossed in a mildly sweet dried fig vinaigrette dressing all of your taste buds are certain to be awaken. City Grocery Café, Oxford , Mississippi , www.citygroceryonline.com

Roasted Shrimp Salad – Your palate is certain to stand up and cheer after experiencing this wonderful salad. The tasty ingredients include: Provencal herb rubbed & grilled fresh Gulf of Mexico Shrimp with delicately cured zucchini noodles, lemon marinated mushrooms, arugula and braised artichoke hearts. Tomato-orange nage adds the finishing touch. TRUE Restaurant, Mobile , Alabama , Phone: 251-344-3334.

No Name Salad – This salad doesn’t have a name listed on the menu, but after you’ve experienced it you won’t soon forget it. Capturing the flavors and excitement that are synonymous with Santa Fe , this spirited salad boldly celebrates the culture and the tradition of this western city. Beginning with crisp Hearts of Romaine, crumbled blue cheese, roasted beets, and topped with spicy Chilean pecans this salad qualifies as a complete meal. Available at Café Pasquals, Santa Fe , New Mexico , www.pasquals.com.

Heirloom Tomato Salad : With summer quickly approaching, this salad is certain to capture the imagination of any true food connoisseur. Flavorful heirloom tomatoes are the definitely the hero. Dried confit, sorbet, and ricotta cheese complete this amazing creation. This salad is in a class all of its own. The delicately rich dressing brings out the natural home grown taste of the fruit. Only available from July – Early October. Blue Hill at Stone Barn, Pocantico Hills , New York , www.bluehillfarm.com.

Citrus Salad – One of the many benefits of living in California is the year round availability of fresh produce. Recipes including native citrus appear often on many restaurant menus, but the Citrus Salad from Chez Pannise captures the refreshment and the relaxed atmosphere often associated with living in the west. This combination of fresh-cut grapefruit and orange blended with ginger, spring onion and mint is both a conversation piece and the topic of conversation. Chez Pannise, www.chezpannise.com, Berkeley , California .

Mesculun Salad – Don’t be fooled by the generic name of this salad. It’s so much more than its name suggests. In fact, it’s perhaps the most satisfying salad that I’ve ever eaten. Piled with what appears to be hundreds of crunchy, carmelized walnut pieces; you’ll savor every bite. The delicious homemade balsamic vinaigrette dressing simply makes this salad experience special.

“1905 Salad” : - This legendary salad is famous throughout Florida , and salad lovers travel near and far to enjoy it. No wonder it’s trademarked! Tossed and created at your table, this masterpiece of a meal includes the juiciest beefsteak tomatoes you’ve ever tasted, lettuce, tender baked ham, Romano & Swiss cheeses, olives and a deliciously smooth garlic dressing. This dressing makes the salad. Columbia Restaurant, Ybor City , Florida , www.columbiarestaurant.com.

The Grilled Caesar Salad – This isn’t your grandmother’s Caesar Salad. Loaded with Grilled Chicken and other special ingredients like flavorful seasonings and homemade croutons, the standard old reliable Caesar just won’t suffice. The Firefly Restaurant, www.thefireflylenox.com, Lenox , Massachusetts .

Asian Chicken Salad – This remarkable salad is simply magnificent! The delicious roasted chicken melts in your mouth. The delicious Hoisin Vinaigrette dressing makes this salad fit for a king. Other ingredients include mandarin oranges, colorful julienne peppers, toasted almonds, and shredded carrots. Hall Street Grill, Beaverton , Oregon , www.hallstreetgrill.com.