Steak Roti Salad

DAY 14: ROTI MEDITERRANEAN GRILL

I try not to go back to the same place in any given month, but sometimes the reason to return is too great to ignore. Like today, for example. The nice folks from Roti recently deposited an extra 100 bonus points in my rewards account, which meant I had acquired the 300 points required to cash in on the June Free Salad special. So to Roti I went.

Steak Roti Salad from Roti

I decided to make a Steak Roti Salad featuring Roti's signature steak, which I'd actually never tried before despite having eaten at Roti very regularly for several years. It's an aged choice sirloin that's been marinated in a very flavorful blend of spices. To that, I added cous-cous, hummus, roasted vegetables, tomato and cucumber salad, and feta, which is one of my most loved salad cheeses. Roti's homemade roasted pepper aoli, which is my favorite Roti sauce, served as the dressing. And I had a piece of pita bread on the side.

Like the Chicken Kabob Salad that I had last week, this salad explodes with flavor. The generous heap of spiced steak is very tender, and the rich red pepper aoli compliments the meat with a nice kick. The roasted vegetables, which include carrots, green peppers, broccoli and onions, also add a lot of flavor due, I'm guessing, to a marinade. The cous-cous dotted with currants adds a layer of mild sweetness, while the chilled tomato and cucumber salad cools the heat from the aoli and provides some crunch. The smooth, creamy, garlic-laden hummus rounds out this salad. You can eat it with the meat and other ingredients, or eat it with the warm pita bread. I did a little of each.

The only downside to this salad is that the steak contains 213 calories compared to the chicken kabob, which only contains 127. In an effort to stick close to my 500 calorie maximum, I trimmed out the kalamata olives, which I usually add to my Roti salads, and I didn't clean my plate. I didn't feel the need to, though. It was a lot of food, and it was very satisfying. It tied me over until a picnic dinner, which didn't get served until after 7pm.



Roti's online nutrition calculator

Now I'm already thinking about my next Roti concoction. Will it be the chicken roti with vinaigrette dressing? Or maybe a vegetarian felafel salad with tahini? Stay tuned. For sure, I'll be back soon enough.

ITEM
Chicken Kabob Salad

EATERY
Roti Mediterranean Grill, 10 South Riverside Plaza, Chicago, IL 60606

MENU DESCRIPTION
Make your own salad with house-baked pita. Choose one: naturally raised FreeBird chicken roti, aged choice sirloin steak roti (add $1), naturally raised FreeBird chicken breast chicken kabob, felafel made with organic chickpeas or marinated, fresh roasted vegetables. Add unlimited sides and toppings: tomato & cucumber salad, cous-cous, red cabbage slaw, Spanish eggplant, roasted vegetables, feta cheese, olives and sumac onions. Pick your sauce(s): dill/yogurt/cucumber (mild), tahini (mild), red pepper aoli (medium), s’hug (spicy) or Roti vinaigrette.

CALORIES
668 (565 for salad + 103 for pita)

COST

FREE!

RECOMMEND

Definitely

Samantha Salad

DAY 5: SOPRAFFINA MARKETCAFFÉ

Sopraffina Marketcaffé (or simply Sopraffina) is a small Chicago chain serving fast-casual Italian food. The menu is diverse, including quite a few salads, and everything is made to order. I haven't been here in a couple of years, but I was in the mood to venture off the beaten path today. So to Sopraffina I went.

I didn't look at the nutrition information online before I left the office, which was a bad move because the menu board at the café doesn't include calorie counts. I crossed my fingers and hoped that I could choose a salad that fell within my 500-calorie limit. Luckily, I was on target with my selection, the Samantha Salad, which has 485 calories, including the low-fat honey mustard dressing.


Sopraffina's Samantha Salad

The Samantha is very simple, with a mix of romaine lettuce, antibiotic-free chicken breast, sliced roma tomatoes, fresh parmesan, strips of red, yellow and green bell pepper, and croutons. Dressing is measured and tossed into the salad, but you can request it on the side if you'd like. I had mine tossed.

This is a wonderfully bright salad that will probably please vegetable lovers who appreciate bell peppers. The lettuce, which is practically all romaine, is plentiful and super crisp, as are the peppers, which are slightly sweet and very crunchy. The thinly sliced roma tomatoes are deep red and juicy.



The chicken, which is rather sparse but cut into good-sized chunks, adds substance to the veggies. Unlike some salad chicken that seems processed and blah, this chicken is fresh from the bone, very nicely seasoned and tastes like it's been rotisserie roasted. It's delicious.

The shredded parmesan compliments the vegetables with a nutty, salty flavor, and the dense homemade croutons add a substantial crunch.

The menu pairs this salad with low-fat honey mustard dressing. Although I don't usually choose honey-mustard, I decided to go with it here since it was recommended and low in fat. I was glad that I did. The mustard has a little kick along with sweetness that adds some excitement to an otherwise mild salad.

I wouldn't put this on my list of OMG salads, but I'd definitely order it again if dining at Sopraffina in the summer. It's filling and fresh but won't weigh you down. If you aren't looking for something complex or unique—and if you like peppers—give it a try.

ITEM

Samantha Salad

EATERY

Sopraffina Marketcaffé, 222 W. Adams St., Chicago, IL  60606

MENU DESCRIPTION

Mixed greens with sliced chicken breast, roma tomatoes, vegetables, fresh parmesan, croutons, fat free honey mustard dressing.

CALORIES

485

COST

$8.72 with tax

RECOMMEND?

Definitely, unless you don't like bell peppers