Greek Salad

DAY 15: PANERA BREAD

Greek Salad from Panera

One of the many things I love about Panera is the customer loyalty program, MyPanera. When you sign up, you'll start receiving email offers. Mine come every week or two and have included free smoothies, free beverages and coupons for discounts on salads. 

Today I had a coupon for $2 off a salad that was set to expire, so I headed to Panera for one of my favorites, the Greek Salad. Like all Panera salads, it's made to order with fresh, chilled ingredients and served with a hunk of fresh baguette.

Panera's Greek is very traditional. A generous bed of cold, fresh romaine lettuce is covered with sliced red onion, chunks of deep red tomato, pitted kalamata olives, several whole peperoncini and a liberal sprinkling of feta cheese.

Served with a flavorful, thick vinaigrette, it's a simple salad. But the way the ingredients combine together really satisfies me. The crisp lettuce, ripe but firm tomato, sharp onion, briny kalamata olives, spicy peperoncini and creamy feta work well with the rich, acidic dressing.

Although the dressing is thicker and creamier than most Greek vinaigrettes, it's salty and hints of oregano, just like the homemade salad dressing you might get down in the heart of Chicago's Greektown on Halsted Street—or better yet, on the island of Santorini. With a generous size and lots of flavor, it feels like much more than 350 calories.

In addition to wonderful taste and healthy ingredients, this salad has a reasonable price, only $5.99 without tax. It's one of Panera's café salads, which are vegetarian and on the lower end of the price scale. Like all Panera salads, you can add chicken or shrimp, but I'm always satisfied without adding protein.

With my $2-off coupon, Panera's Greek Salad was one of the better buys I've had since embarking on this adventure. I can't wait to see what reward MyPanera gives me next.

ITEM
Greek Salad

EATERY
Panera Bread at 250 South Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL 60606

MENU DESCRIPTION
Romaine lettuce, vine-ripened tomatoes, feta cheese, peperoncini, red onions, Kalamata olives, pepper & our Greek dressing.

CALORIES
380

COST
$3.99 before tax with $2-off coupon

RECOMMEND
Definitely

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

Buffalo Salad

DAY 10: PROTEIN BAR

Protein Bar is one of my favorite places to grab a quick, super-healthy lunch. The original location of this small but growing Chicago-based chain opened a few years ago near the Willis Tower (which I stubbornly still refer to as the Sears Tower). It’s a sleek, modern, urban space designed to get busy people in and out during the lunch rush.

Protein Bar's Buffalo Salad

I love Protein Bar's story. After growing up overweight and losing his dad to a heart attack, the founder made a conscious decision to change his lifestyle. He adopted a high-protein diet and an exercise regimen, which led to a 50-pound weight loss. With a fit body and a new healthy lifestyle under his (smaller) belt, he was frustrated by the lack of healthy food options in the city, so he left his job and opened the first Protein Bar. Now there are several locations in Chicago, and the chain is expanding into other cities, including Washington, DC.

Meals are made to order at Protein Bar. You order and pay at one end of the counter, then pick up your food at at the other. Bottles of Cholula and Sriracha sauce are set out at the end of the counter for customers who want to kick up the spice of their meal, which is a nice touch. The line is usually really long, but it moves fast and the food is made quickly. I think it’s worth the 5-10 minute wait.

Protein Bar's menu includes their signature bar-ritos, bowls, salads, chili and smoothies. Organic all-natural ingredients and healthy choices flood the menu, starting with organic quinoa. This high-protein grain is in almost every dish. There are also lots of healthy sides and snacks like Skinny Pop popcorn, Kind bars, fresh fruit, hard boiled eggs, Chobani Greek yogurt, nuts and more.

The Buffalo Bowl is my favorite entree. Warm quinoa is mixed with all-natural white meat chicken, cucumbers, celery, carrots, blue cheese and Protein Bar's homemade (and healthy) vegan buffalo sauce. I love it.

There’s also the Buffalo Salad. It combines the quinoa, chicken, blue cheese and buffalo sauce from the bowl with Protein Bar's “Super 6 Salad Mix” of romaine, spinach, broccoli, carrots, kale and purple cabbage. The menu says the mix “was specifically designed to capture the maximum amount of vitamins, minerals, and anti-oxidants and pack a hearty crunch!" Sounds good to me. Since I'm committed to salads this summer, I ordered the Buffalo Salad.

My view at lunch: The Sears/Willis Tower

The original Protein Bar location, which is where I like to go, is pretty tiny. There are a few tables for eat-in patrons, but most people take their lunch elsewhere. I took mine to a grassy park just across the street from the Sears/Willis Tower and soaked up some Vitamin D along with my protein.

Surprisingly, I love the Buffalo Salad as much as I love the Buffalo Bowl. There's plenty of tender chicken and creamy, salty cheese to make this salad substantial without being unhealthy. The chewy quinoa is sprinkled throughout the salad, enough so that it's in every bite but pretty much indistinguishable. The homemade buffalo sauce serves as salad dressing. It adds loads of wonderfully acidic flavor with a little heat, which I amplify with a liberal application of Mexican Cholula hot sauce.

Knowing how much I love the Buffalo Bowl, I was a little reluctant to order the salad. But I'm so glad that I did. With only a few more calories and lots more nutrients, the salad is a smart choice. It contains 409 calories compared to the bowl, which has 387 calories. The only downside is that it's a few dollars more than the bowl. But the quality and quantity of the added ingredients, in my opinion, justifies the added price.

Given the success of the today's adventure, I'm really looking forward to trying more Protein Bar salads this summer. Bring on the quinoa.

EATERY
Protein Bar, 235 South Franklin Street, Chicago, IL 60606

ITEM
Buffalo Salad

MENU DESCRIPTION
All-natural chicken, organic quinoa, blue cheese, and our house-made vegan buffalo sauce over our Super 6 Salad Mix.

CALORIES
409

COST
$9.49 before sales tax

RECOMMEND
Definitely

Chicken Caesar Salad

DAY 8: ALONTI MARKET & CAFÉ

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.



Alonti's Chicken Caesar Salad

I decided on a Chicken Caesar Salad* from Alonti, which is very close to my building. In addition to Chicago, they operate locations in Dallas, Houston, Austin, San Antonio and Orange County, CA. Alonti isn’t fancy, but the selection is diverse. You can make your own lunch at the salad and soup bar or the hot buffet; grab something that’s pre-made; or stand in line for a made-to-order sandwich, hot entrée plate or salad. The Caesar, which is fairly reliable, is on the made-to-order menu, so I ordered from the counter.

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.


This is what went in the trash

Unfortunately, today’s salad was heavy on croutons and cheese, which are two ingredients that can throw a salad’s calorie count above 500. I knew I’d be in trouble if I cleaned my bowl, so I pecked and picked to get at the chicken and lettuce.

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

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

Diana's Salad

DAY 6: FOODSTUFFS

One of the many things I appreciate about my job is the company's liberal work from home (WFH) policy. While I commute to the office on most days, I try to take one day a week to catch up on writing and editing in the peace and quiet of my home office, where I can focus without people wandering in and interrupting my flow.

Today was one of those WFH days.

I don't usually take much of a lunch break when I WFM. But we had decent weather today, so I ventured down the street and picked up a salad from a local grocer, Foodstuffs.

Foodstuffs has several locations scattered among the northern suburbs of Chicago. They have an extensive selection of prepared foods, baked goods, cheese, fresh seafood, wine and more. They also have lots of specialty items, like salad dressings and marinades made by local restaurants, gourmet potato chips and crisps, pricey pasta and sauces imported from Italy, specialty chocolates spiced with curry powder and other exotic ingredients...it's a fun place to shop if you're in the mood to splurge a bit.

In the back of the store is a counter where you can order salads and sandwiches. Everything is made fresh, and although there are several salads to choose from, customization and even complete deviation from the menu is encouraged.

Foodstuffs Diana's Salad

I was in a spinach mood, so I ordered a customized version of Diana's Salad. It's typically made with baby spinach, edamame, red onions, marinated mushrooms, goat cheese, sugared walnuts, dried cranberries and Foodstuffs balsamic vinaigrette. I omitted the marinated mushrooms and added grilled chicken.

Foodstuffs salads are priced by weight at $8.99/lb., so they will be happy to add more of the ingredients that you really like, or go easy on those that might be a bit indulgent. They'll chop your salad for you and dress it if you like, too, which I do.

My salad weighed in at a hefty 1.1 lbs. even though there was still room in the bowl for more ingredients. Most every salad I've had from Foodstuffs has come in around this weight, so if you go there and want something lighter, you'll have to coach them accordingly. A pound really is a lot of salad, but that meant that I had some left over to nibble when the pre-dinner hunger started to hit.

Speaking of hit, my salad hit the spot. In this arrangement, the fresh, deep-green baby spinach serves as a mild background for the sweet, chewy cranberries and crunchy sugared nuts. The creamy goat cheese delivers smooth saltiness and red onion contributes a sharp bite. The edamame adds a bit of earthy girth. And the grilled chicken provides substance that balances the delicateness of the spinach leaves—although the chicken doesn't seem to be seasoned much or at all. That would be the one thing I'd change, especially after eating chicken yesterday that was so fantastically flavored. But the rich flavor of the homemade balsamic vinaigrette makes up for the lack of pop in the protein department.

Overall, this is a very satisfying lunch even though it pushes past my $10 limit when tax is added. It might push past my 500 calorie limit, too, which I can't confirm with certainty because Foodstuffs doesn't publish calorie counts with their menu. Guessing on portions and using a caloiries calculator, I'd estimate this comes closer to 600 calories. But since I saved some of it to eat later in the day, I think that's ok.



Glencoe Beach on Lake Michigan, about 20 miles north of Chicago

 

By the way, how about the view from my "table" today? I'm lucky to live within walking distance from one of the most beautiful beaches in the Chicago area, and today I ate my lunch on a park bench overlooking Lake Michigan. If only Chicago could have summer year-round, this would be heaven on earth.

ITEM
Diana's Salad

EATERY
Foodstuffs, 338 Park Avenue, Glencoe, IL 60022

MENU DESCRIPTION
Baby spinach, edamame, onions, marinated mushrooms, goat cheese, sugared walnuts, dried cranberries and Foodstuffs balsamic vinaigrette. [Note I customized this by eliminating the marinated mushrooms and adding grilled chicken.]

CALORIES
Not listed; estimating >500

COST
$9.89 without tax

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

Strawberry Poppyseed & Chicken Salad

DAY 2: PANERA BREAD

Image courtesy of Panera Bread

With a coupon for $2 off any salad, I chose Panera Bread for lunch today.

I’ll warn you right now. I’m a huge Panera fan. I'm impressed by the company’s approach to food preparation, commitment to healthy choices, and dedication to corporate responsibility through the application of conscious capitalism principles. I enjoy the food even more now that I'm familiar with the story behind the brand.

Panera offers seasonal menu selections, including a fruit-laden Strawberry Poppyseed & Chicken Salad. I don’t always appreciate fruit in my salad, but this one is a hit with me, and it's my choice for Day 2.

Like all Panera salads, it's made to order and available in half-sized portions. The halves are great for lighter appetites and for salad/soup, salad/sandwich and salad/pasta combos. I plan on covering some of the combos here this summer.

I ordered the entrée-sized portion without any customization. Even though it was noon and the café was busy, I didn’t wait long for my order to come up.

This is a pretty salad. Inside a cardboard container with a clear top, bite-sized pieces of crisp romaine sit beneath a generous top layer of strawberries, blueberries, pineapple, mandarin oranges, thinly sliced grilled chicken breast and pecans.

Strawberries get lead billing in the name of this salad, but the portions of the other fruits are probably equal or nearly equal. There’s plenty of everything here. And the fruit is nicely chilled, which is especially refreshing on a warm summer day.

The quality of the ingredients is definitely above average. Unlike the strawberries I’ve been seeing at the big-name grocery stores lately, the berries in today's salad were unblemished and perfectly ripe. Same for the other fruit—although truth be told, I’m not crazy about oranges so I pushed most of them aside. And the chicken is perfect.

Side note: I didn't know until I did my research for this blog post that Panera sources its chicken from family farmers. I definitely applaud that.

The fat-free poppyseed salad dressing is split between two separate containers. (If you order a half salad, you get one container.) This is handy if you're trying to minimize the amount you use. But this dressing barely impacts the calorie count, which is a nice benefit considering how much flavor it adds to the salad. It’s primarily sweet, but there’s a little tangy saltiness there, too. You can order a different dressing if you'd like, but I prefer to follow the menu here. Poppyseed dressing is frequently paired with fruit salads, and there's a reason why: it's just darn good.

Every Panera salad comes with a choice of baguette chunk, apple or chips. I chose the baguette. It's the kind of bread that can stand alone without butter—deliciously crunchy on the outside, and wonderfully chewy on the inside. And since the bread and pastries are baked onsite daily, it's often served fresh from the oven. Today's baguette was no exception. It was warm and uber delicious.

I was really satisfied with this lunch. With a plentiful portion of sweet, juicy fruit, I think it's a great alternative to the savory salads I typically gravitate towards.

The verdict? It's a winner. That's two winners in two days. So far, so good.

ITEM
Strawberry Poppyseed & Chicken Salad

EATERY
Panera Bread at 250 South Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL 60606

MENU DESCRIPTION
All-natural, antibiotic-free chicken, romaine, fresh strawberries, blueberries, pineapple and Mandarin oranges, pecans and fatfree poppyseed dressing.

CALORIES
350

COST
$7.63 after $2-off coupon and sales tax

RECOMMEND?

Definitely