I had big plans for lunch today. I was going to pick up a salad from a unique spot in the Loop. (That's what we Chicagoans call the downtown area that's inside the L tracks that cut through the city, forming a giant loop.) But it’s a bit of a walk from my office, and I ended up needing extra time to prepare for a meeting, so I had to make a different plan on the fly.
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| Alonti's Chicken Caesar Salad |
If you go there during the lunch rush, the lines can be deep, but the staff moves fast. Consequently, the counter can be a little bit of a mess, with ingredients from one container spilled into another, food on the counter, food on the floor…you get the picture. They’re always trying to clean up, but it’s kind of crazy. Later in the day, it’s usually more orderly. Of course, I went during the rush and it was a little manic.
But my salad was made quickly, and the staffer, as always, was courteous. No complaints.
Back at my desk, I unpacked my salad. Alonti salads come in plastic bowls with clear lids. My salad was as big as it could be, with the typical ingredients: romaine, parmesan cheese, homemade croutons and homemade Caesar dressing.
Since so many people are trying to be health conscious about their ingredients and portions, the staff at Alonti always asks if you want one or two scoops of dressing. I appreciate that. Given the size of the salad, I always find that one scoop is plenty. Once scoop appears to be 2 tbs., which is a solid amount.
For me, one downside to eating here is that the ingredient measurements are not consistent from one order to the next. One day they’re generous, the next day they’re skimpy. That means I usually have no idea how many calories are in my food.
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| This is what went in the trash |
The quality of the salad ingredients is average. The romaine is fresh, but not uniformly cut into manageable pieces. You will probably need a knife to eat this one. The roasted chicken is fine, but sometimes not trimmed very well. Today, for example, I had a piece that was really gristly. That ended up in a napkin. The parmesan cheese is of the store-bought shredded variety. Certainly edible and not offensive, but not special. The croutons are homemade, but I won’t rave about them. They don’t have enough crunch or flavor to be memorable. The salad is dressed with a homemade Caesar dressing that’s creamy and heavy on garlic. It adds a lot of flavor, and I like it. But I’ll tell you what: make sure you have some gum or mints on hand after you eat this one or you'll be ostracized for a bit.
I wasn’t crazy about this lunch. I wish I could have swapped some of the cheese and croutons for lettuce, or at least for chicken. I ended up throwing away a fair amount of food. But it's not a budget buster, I didn't get hungry as the afternoon went on—and my meeting went really well.
Oh, and tomorrow is Friday. The sun is shining, and it looks like it's going to stick aroud for at least one more day.
As I said before, no complaints.
*Alonti's cafe menu isn't online (at least not that I could find), so I linked to the catering menu. It's the same food, just larger portions.
EATERY
Alonti Market & Café, 300 South Riverside Plaza #150, Chicago, IL 60606
ITEM
Chicken Caesar Salad
MENU DESCRIPTION
Roasted chicken, parmesan cheese, homemade croutons, Caesar dressing.
CALORIES
740 (if you eat the whole thing)
COST
$6.19 before sales tax
RECOMMEND?
In a Pinch
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