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

Salad Trio

DAY 13: CORNER BAKERY

Trio Salad from Corner Bakery

If you live in Chicago, chances are you know Corner Bakery. In some areas of the city, this chain is nearly as ubiquitous as Starbucks. For example, in my building alone, there are two locations.

Corner Bakery has a diverse menu that includes several entree salads as well as side salads. If you're in the mood for variety, you can can choose three side salads and build a Salad Trio. Choices vary but might include tuna salad, chicken salad, pasta salad, caesar salad and fruit salad.

I went for a Trio today. I chose the cavatapi pasta salad, the mozzarella tomato arugula salad and the seasonal fruit medley. With that came a garnish of mixed greens dressed with vinaigrette plus a foccacia roll.

Altogether, my choices added up to 410 calories. With another 100 calories for the fresh, chewy, salty foccacia roll, this lunch was 10 calories over my 500 calorie limit. I let the overage slide. After all I’m sure I burned at least 10 calories when I walked a couple of blocks to eat my lunch in the park.

Focaccia roll from Corner Bakery

I’ve been eating Trios for a long time. When I started more than ten years ago, the salads and greens were all piled together in a plastic container. That was fine if everything had a similar flavor profile, but it didn’t work if you had three distinctly different salads.

Now, the salads are separated. In my situation, the greens and pasta salad were put directly into a square plastic container, but the mozzarella tomato arugula salad and fruit salad were put in separate cups. Having had vinaigrette bleed into my fruit, I actually appreciate the care that goes into this method of packaging.

Being a sucker for pasta salad, I started with the cavatapi salad. I was not disappointed. The pasta is cooked al dente and dressed with a super flavorful white balsamic vinaigrette. Roasted garlic, diced asiago cheese, roasted tomatoes, basil and arugula round out this dish. The garlic makes a strong statement, which I appreciate. There are only a few pieces of deliciously roasted tomato, but they’re large enough to cut up and stretch into many bites. Although the asiago is diced into very small pieces, it’s plentiful and its mild, nutty flavor is persistent. Finally, the sweet basil and peppery arugula add greenery and compliment the other ingredients. Frankly I could have had a big bowl of this salad and been really, really happy.

But I didn’t. I moved on to the mozzarella tomato arugula salad. It’s delicious and bright, but with much less flavor than the pasta salad. In retrospect, I should have started with this milder dish. Equal parts of sliced marinated cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella cheese and arugula are accented with fresh basil and a lemon garlic dressing. With the creamy cheese, cold tomatoes and zippy greens, I think this is a great albeit light summer salad.

From there I moved to the greens. The menu says they’re a garnish, and that’s accurate. I counted ten pieces of lettuce. But with the sweet and spicy vinaigrette, it’s definitely fresh and tasty.

I finished with the fruit. It contains all of my favorites—pineapple, strawberries, blueberries, grapes, apples and cantelope. All of the fruit is perfectly ripe and in beautiful shape. It’s cold and sweet, the way a good fruit salad should be. It makes a great dessert.

But I actually ate my foccacia roll as dessert. I saved it for last because I wanted to see if the salads alone would satisfy me. But frankly, the portions in the Trio are not very big, and I wasn’t entirely satisfied, so I dove into the delicious bread.

Although I really enjoyed the variety and tastes of these salads, the combination didn’t quite fill me up. About halfway through the afternoon, I started feeling hungry. I ended up eating a Kind bar to hold myself over until dinner.

I suspect this is my own fault, though, because I concocted a carb-heavy lunch. Next time I order a Trio, I’ll pay as much attention to the protein as I do to the calories, and hopefully I’ll end up with something that fills me enough to keep me from snacking before dinner. I'm already studying the nutritional information and plotting my next visit.

ITEM
Trio Salad

EATERY
Corner Bakery Cafe, 444 West Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, IL 60606

MENU DESCRIPTION
Cavatapi pasta salad: Roasted tomatoes, Asiago cheese, basil, roasted garlic and arugula in white balsamic dressing.
Mozzarella tomato arugula: Marinated tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, arugula and basil with lemon garlic dressing.
Seasonal fruit medley: A delicious assortment of the season's freshest fruits.
Mixed greens salad (garnish): Field greens tossed in our sweet and spicy house vinaigrette.

CALORIES
510 (Cavatapi pasta salad = 150, mozzarella tomato arugula =160, seasonal fruit medley = 70, mixed greens salad = 30 + focaccia roll = 100)

COST
$8.27 with tax

RECOMMEND
Definitely, unless you like big portions

Chicken Kabob Salad

DAY 12: ROTI MEDITERRANEAN GRILL

Chicken Kabob Salad from Roti

A bit of Mediterranean blood flows through my veins, so it’s no surprise that I really love Mediterranean food.

When Roti Mediterranean Grill opened its first location a stone’s throw from my office, I was ecstatic. Their fresh approach to food and flavor had me hooked. There’s one near my house, too. I’ll admit there have been weeks when I’ve eaten Roti multiple times. It’s that good.

The Roti concept is pretty simple. They offer a selection of fire-roasted meats plus felafel and roasted veggies that form the base for sandwiches (in a pita pocket or a laffa wrap), salads or plates. You order your meat/veggie, then walk through the assembly line as your meal is made on the other side to choose your sides, toppings and homemade sauces. It’s a lot like one of my other favorite spots, Chipotle, in that regard.

On this particular visit, I ordered a Chicken Kabob Salad and added hummus, cous-cous, cucumber-tomato salad, feta and olives with red pepper aoli and a slice of warm pita on the side. The meal was assembled quickly, and the staff could not have been more pleasant. I was in and out the door in just a few minutes.

My favorite thing about this salad is the flavor. Marinated kabobs, sweet cous-cous, garlicky hummus, briny kalamata olives, cool cucumber-tomato salad, salty feta and spicy red pepper aoli combine to go *P*O*W* on the tongue. It’s so flavorful and substantial, it hardly feels like a salad. The textures are great, too, with meaty chicken, smooth hummus, creamy cheese, crisp cucumbers and tomatoes, chewy olives and soft cous-cous. And of course there are mixed greens under it all to add bit of fresh garden flavor. The combination makes a really satisfying lunch.

The pita served on the side is a nice touch. It’s light and chewy, which I really like. As someone who counts calories and doesn’t want to pack a ton of carbs into a meal, I appreciate that Roti’s pita is thinner than most other pita. Plus they make it in house right behind the cash register, which means you’ll probably get a piece that’s just rolled out of the oven. I like using the pita to scoop up the hummus.

The only thing to be careful of is calories. Although the individual ingredients on their own are super healthy, Roti’s generous “add what you want” approach makes it easy to be greedy. If you choose a higher-calorie meat or felafel and then pack on toppings, sides and sauces, you'll end up with a high-calorie meal. But it’s a healthy mix of ingredients, not fat-laden fried junk food—and some people actually can afford or need to eat those extra calories.

Roti's online nutrition calculator

Whichever camp you’re in, Roti’s online nutrition calculator will help you figure out the best ingredients to choose for your diet plan. I took a screenshot* after I calculated the calories in my meal so you can see how it added up my choices. I overshot my calorie target by 118 calories primarily because I added the pita, which contains 103 calories. But it was worth the splurge, and it kept me full until dinner, which wasn’t until after 7pm. [*A note about the screenshot: Roti recently changed their pita, reducing calories from 205 to 103. When I used the nutrition calculator to add up my calories, the calorie count for the pita hadn’t been updated yet, so it shows 721 calories instead of 619.]

One other thing to love about Roti is the loyalty program. You download an app to your phone and use it to photograph and upload your receipts. I was a little skeptical because I didn’t want a bunch of spam and alerts, but I’ve never had a problem with this app. It’s super easy to use and nicely designed. You get points for every purchase, and can trade the points for free items and discounts. For example, during June, you can get a salad for only 300 points instead of the usual 900. 

I plan on going back before July starts to cash in 300 of my points for a free salad. I’m already looking at the nutrition calculator and planning my next meal. I'll let you know what I decide.

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

619 (516 for salad + 103 for pita)

COST

$8.78 with tax

RECOMMEND

Definitely

Ella's Salad

DAY 7: HANNAH'S BRETZEL

 

If given the opportunity to eat organic, I will. And if given the choice to patronize an independently owned eatery over a big corporate chain, I'll go the indy route.

 

At Hannah's Bretzel, I can do both. It's a local Chicago chain of lovely artisan sandwich shops that make me feel like I'm somewhere in Europe. Or at least in IKEA, but with something other than meatballs.

Imagine a bright, modern, airy space with sleek furniture, shining glass and metal surfaces, lots of natural light and a pop of color. Then imagine loads of interesting organic ingredients that go way beyond what you'll find at any national chain. Finally, imagine trays of fresh baked pretzel and wheat breads. Got that? You're in Hannah's.

 

Hannah's is one of my go-to spots if I'm trying to eat a lower-cal lunch. You can get a soup and salad combo that will fill you up without packing on calories. All items are made to order, and you can add extra vegetables, cheese, meat, and other ingredients for small upcharges. The line can be long, but it moves quickly. Plus it winds through the sandwich prep area, so you can eyeball all of the ingredients and watch the sandwiches being assembled. 



Ella's Salad with Vegetable Barley Soup

That's where I went today. I ordered my usual combo, the Ella's Salad and Vegetable Barley Soup. The meal registers 310 calories, which is amazingly low considering it's not a tiny amount of food.

First, the soup. Unlike some soups, you won't get halfway through the bowl and be out of everything but broth. Every bowl is thick with barley, celery, leeks, carrots and onions. The fresh vegetables are perfectly cooked and nowhere near mushy. The nutty barley is plentiful and adds a texture that reminds me of risotto. The only thing I think this soup needs is salt, which I always add. I suppose if you're watching your sodium intake, you'll appreciate this.

 

As for the salad, it's packed with organic greens and accented with Belgian endive, cubes of fresh mozzarella cheese, roasted grape tomatoes, white beans, chopped rosemary-infused asparagus and cashews. Greens are fresh and plentiful, cheese is smooth and chilled, tomatoes are roasted just enough to bring out the sweetness, and the asparagus is crisp and bright. The beans and nuts are unexpected but delicious additions.

The dressing is a homemade white balsamic vinaigrette that is both sweet and sour. This vinaigrette isn't oily at all, and it adds a lot of flavor to a salad that would be rather bland with a milder dressing.

Now if you're on a tight budget, you might not appreciate Hannah's. With tax, my combo set me back more than $10. On the other hand, everything is fresh, not loaded with fillers and preservatives. As the saying goes, you get what you pay for. I think Hannah's is worth the splurge.

 

ITEM
Ella's Salad with Vegetable Barley Soup

EATERY
Hannah's Bretzel, 555 W. Monroe St., Chicago, IL  60661

MENU DESCRIPTION
Salad: Organic mixed greens, Belgian endives, fresh mozzarella, roasted grape tomatoes, white beans, rosemary-infused asparagus and roasted cashews served with housemade white  balsamic vinaigrette.

Soup: Organic whole grain barley with celery, leeks, organic carrots and organic onions.

CALORIES:
310 (220 for salad and 90 for soup)
 

COST

$9.49 without tax

RECOMMEND?
Definitely

Zesty Chicken and Black Bean Salad Bowl

Image courtesy of Starbucks

DAY 1: STARBUCKS

I imagine you think this is a strange place for me to begin. I mean, who thinks of salad when they think of Starbucks? Certainly not me.

But every Starbucks in my area has a small selection of grab-and-go salads in the refrigerator case. And with a coupon for 50% off the item of my choice set to expire this week, I was motivated to make my first blogged-about adventure in lettuce a Starbucks salad.

I chose the Zesty Chicken and Black Bean Salad Bowl, which includes chicken, black beans, corn, jicama, tomatoes, feta, greens and quinoa with a chili vinaigrette.

Like all Starbucks salads, this one is prepackaged, with an ample supply of dressing nestled inside the deep, square container. The lid comes off easily. The directions say to add the dressing, replace the lid and shake. Apparently this is the way to perfectly distribute the dressing. Naturally, I didn't look at the directions until I'd already stirred in my dressing, so you'll have to measure the effectiveness of this method yourself if you're curious.

I must admit that prepackaged salads can be a drag. If you don't like all the ingredients or the dressing, you'll have to pick out the offensive items or supply your own dressing. Luckily, everything in the Zesty Chicken and Black Bean Salad Bowl sounded and looked appetizing to me

My first impression was that this salad could not have been more than a few hours old. It was FRESH, with none of the wilting or mushiness that often invades prepackaged salads.

I think this is due in large part to the way the salad is assembled. The heavier ingredients (chicken, quinoa, grape tomatoes, black beans and corn) are layered under the lettuce, with nothing but thin strips of seasoned jicama atop the greens. The ingredient proportions are balanced and generous, with enough of everything to ensure there will never be a bite with only lettuce.

The dressing is thick, with a rich reddish-orange color courtesy of pureed tomatoes, red papers and chilis. It's definitely not spicy though, so don't get scared off by the presence of chilis if you're heat-averse. It has a unique mix of sweet, smoke and tang that complements the ingredients perfectly.

I really loved the way the flavors of the salad combine. The earthy black beans and sweet corn play off each other with the delicate chicken. The roasted tomatoes add a nice acidity, the feta a punch of creamy saltiness, and the jicama a refreshingly light crunch. The quinoa, which on its own isn't much to dream about, provides substance and knits together all of the ingredients. And of course there is lettuce, a nice spring mix that neither overpowers nor underwhelms.

The salad itself isn’t large, but the ingredients are dense, so I was satisfied and full until dinnertime—roughly six hours after finishing lunch.

Yes, my maiden adventure was a success.

ITEM 
Zesty Chicken and Black Bean Salad Bowl

EATERY
Starbucks at 139 South Clinton Street, Chicago, IL 60661

MENU DESCRIPTION
A blend of grilled chicken, black beans, roasted corn, jicama, tomatoes, feta, spring greens and quinoa with mild chili vinaigrette.

CALORIES
360

COST 
$3.83 after 50 percent off coupon and sales tax

RECOMMEND?
Definitely