Dish Gal's guide to getting the most out of life, one meal at a time...



Seinfeld, part II: The BIG Salad

George: What's in the BIG salad?
Jerry: Big lettuce, big carrots, tomatoes like volleyballs...

The episode, "The Big Salad," is one of Sebastian's and my favorite Seinfelds. Elaine's love for the coffee shop's Big Salad got me thinking about where in Boston you can get your own BIG salad...but of course, you should never take credit for someone else buying it..

The Big Salad, to-go: Tossed

This chain restaurant that specializes in salads is tucked away in the Prudential Center, away from the hustle and bustle of the food court, next to the Hynes and Ann Taylor Loft. During lunchtime it's always quite crowded, but you can order your salad ahead of time online. My favorite is the tuna salad, which comes with diced apple and dried cranberries mixed in with the tuna. They also have lots of inventive dressings, like fat-free cucumber dill and citrus chipotle.

The Big, Big Salad: Cheesecake Factory

I think if anyone can say they serve a BIG salad, it's Cheesecake Factory. These bad boys really do have tomatoes the size of volleyballs. They have enough for several meals. In high school, Cheesecake Factory was our go-to restaurant. I don't think we were aware that others even existed. We often would tease Maeve when she'd hem and haw over what she was going to order, sending the waiter away several times, before settling on the same thing every single time: the Chinese chicken salad.

Maeve's favorite salad...

Best Big Salad, with a side of people watching: Stephanie's on Newbury St.

A fashionable restaurant attracts fashionable people--and often such fashionistas are big fans of the salad. Luckily, the salads at Stephanie's deliver not only heft but taste. Dish Gal's personal favorite is the Asian yellow fin tuna salad with pickled onions and wasabi vinaigrette. These big salads are best enjoyed in the summer months, on the patio, with a glass of crisp white wine.

Best Big Salad, with international flair: Orinoco

The salads at Orinoco aren't huge, but I had to include them because of their originality. My favorite (I had it for lunch yesterday even) is the Orinoco salad, with grilled chicken breast, watercress, endives, and green grapes tossed with sherry vinaigrette and topped with feta cheese. The palmito salad features one of Orinoco's famous ingredients: the date. The salad comes with endives and hearts of palm, with cabrales vinaigrette and bacon-wrapped dates. YUM.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Maeve has very good taste in salad! I can understand her dilemma re: choices at Cheesecake - there are just too many good options. You should tell her to venture for the lettuce wraps, she would probably enjoy those too! And the Asian chicken salad at Charlie's gives Cheesecake a run for their money. =)
By the way, soooo jealous that you saw Seinfeld!