Let Us Eat Lettuce: A Salad Salute!
By Brooke A. Brown
Let’s face it… it’s not always easy eating greens. But it truly should be a goal we each strive to do more often than not, especially in our ever-expanding community of fast food foragers. Part of the problem is the lack of excitement and fun; a major problem is the lack of options. Well, these concerns are no longer an excuse.
The Lovely Miss S and I finally made it to Salad Creations (where “fresh is fabulous”) at the Charleston Town Center’s Food Court yesterday for our first experience with the antithetical fast food chain. And I’ve got to say, it was a lot of fun. The colorful array of fresh veggies, mixed with the charming personalities of the help, projects absolute positivity. So not only do they offer a healthy lunch, but also a healthy break from the humdrumedness, if you will, of work, errands and the like.
The menu, which at first glance is somewhat daunting, is broken into three main categories: Create Your Own Salad, Featured Salads and Fresh Wraps. I chose the Chinese Chopstick featured salad, which consists of spring mix lettuce, grilled Teriyaki chicken, Mandarin oranges, Chinese noodles and a spicy Asian peanut dressing. Miss S created her own saladscape by first choosing a fresh lettuce option (iceberg, romaine, spring mix or spinach) and then her choice of literally dozens of “throw-in” ingredients. The preparation for each was efficient and engaging, especially considering their use of customized, conveniently-available-for-purchase salad choppers.
The salads were delicious. The ingredients were of the highest quality and the serving sizes were successfully proportioned for lunchtime hunger pangs. One word of advice: ask your salad preparer to go easy on the dressing. My salad, tasty and fresh as it may have been, was dressed as heavily as Randy Parker from “A Christmas Story.” Also, take advantage of the sea salt and pepper grinders located by the register. The veggies are au naturel and require a bit of seasoning to extract their greatest flavor potential.
So next time you’re riding that escalator up to the third floor of the mall, tell the Chick-Fil-A sample lady “no, thanks” and belly up to the salad bar at Salad Creations. Change, after all, can be a good thing.
IF YOU GO: Salad Creations, 3013 Charleston Town Center, Charleston, W.Va., 304-342-7252.
September 10th, 2008 at 5:48 pm
I liked Salad Creations when I tried it, but it seemed a bit pricey. Six bucks for a smallish salad. Since I was able to get exactly what I wanted–spinach, tomato, olives, feta and no dressing–I was happy.
I never get dressing. Just give me an austere spinach-based salad and I’m good.
September 11th, 2008 at 9:42 am
Whoopee! We finally have a truly healthy option for lunch downtown. Other places have salads, but they mostly consist of cheese and meat. I’m overjoyed to see a place spring up where a truly raw, vegan salad can be had at whatever cost.
September 15th, 2008 at 5:30 pm
Hey, there’s a new website about to launch called Behind the Burner: it features exclusive tips on products and cooking techniques, as well as video demonstrations with New York City’s best chefs! Be sure to check out the website, www.behindtheburner.com, where you can sign up for email updates and more info.