Although I typically order meat or other hot entrees when I go out, it would be better for my health and waistline to order salads. As COVID-isolation pounds linger, it’s time to get healthy. Inspired, I went in search of the best salads in Central Oregon. Armed by suggestions from a Bend foodie group, I spent two weeks eating salads from local restaurants. There were no bad salads, but some stood out above the others.
As most restaurants have salads, I limited the competition to salads that were large enough to be considered meals. Adding a protein often made the salad feel more like an entree. I didn’t include ethnic cuisines — no Asian, Thai, Vietnamese, Mediterranean, Mexican, etc. One can’t compare a Taco salad from Hola to a Lemongrass Beef salad from Phó Viet.
In short order, it became clear what makes a great salad. Daily fresh greens and vegetables from local farms were more flavorful. The top salads were sourced either from Dome Grown Produce, Sungrounded Farm or Boundless Farmstead. The best salads play many tastes and textures against each other. When sweet and sour from fruit, creaminess of cheese, nuttiness, and savory come together, the mix is truly mouth-watering.
Top five salads in Central OregonKale Salad from Vine-N-Tap in Redmond — Vine-N-Tap opened on 7th Street the day restaurants closed for the pandemic. Its Kale Salad was perfection. Tender Russian Kale was mixed with chewier dinosaur Kale and tossed in molasses and cider vinaigrette. There was no bitterness to the Sungrounded Farm greens. Sweet potato and chunks of roasted beets added sweetness. Aged Manchego cheese and sunflower seeds complemented the mix. The nuttiness from crunchy wheat berries pulled it all together. Optional fried chicken added perfectly to the mix.
Any Salad at Garden Cafe — A variety of fresh lettuce from Boundless Farmstead is the beginning of the extraordinary salads at Garden Cafe. They are as beautiful as they are flavorful. Split pea pods, rainbow radishes, carrot ribbons, and flowers—peppery nasturtiums, violets, rose petals—add a variety of flavor. I chose the salad with a light and creamy cilantro peptic hemp dressing. Choose any of the salads on the menu or ask for one customized to your taste. All are fresh and a treat for your tastebuds.
Beer Snob Cobb at The Row, Tetherow — This salad stood out from many cobb salads I tried. Crispy prosciutto ham replaced bacon bits. Its stout-glazed hard-boiled egg was smokey and sweet. Danish bleu cheese added a creamy bite, while a pile of sweet beer berries (taste like cranberries) added a mildly tart touch. Tomatoes, cucumber and avocado were also piled high.
With so much flavor, I never added the bleu cheese dressing.
Coronation Salad from Lemon Tree — Getting its name because “it’s fit for a queen,” this well-balanced salad starts with a pile of curried free-range chicken chunks. Blanched almond slivers add crunch and nuttiness. Fresh, ripe strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, seedless grapes, craisins and orange added sweetness and tartness. It was topped with a delicate edible violet. Liked the way that blueberries and grape had a more subtle sweetness that complimented the curried chicken.
Pear Bleu Salad from the Hideaway — Sometimes, a simple salad is just done right by using the perfect balance of quality ingredients prepared the right way. Fleshy, brisk flavored Red Anjou sliced pear sits atop a generous portion of spring mix fresh lettuce. A moist, grilled chicken breast is sliced flat and thin. The pears, crumbled bleu cheese and walnut chunks are perfectly paired and plentiful enough for every bite. Raspberry vinaigrette adds sweetness without being too sugary.
Truly honorable mentionsMost of these salads missed the top five on a technicality — a not-quite-perfect ingredient, too ethnic, not as unique. Any of these salads are worth seeking out.
VooDoo Salad from Southern Accent — The only reason this moved down to honorable mention is that it’s almost exactly like a po’ boy without the bun. Given that I loved the po’ boy, that’s a good thing. I ordered it with a fried gator tail. Avocado, spring mix, fresh red pepper and carrot strips with a creamy dressing come with a slightly spicy remoulade dressing for dipping.
Magical Green Falafel Salad Bowl from Bethlyn’s Global Fusion — This one didn’t make the top five as it was more of an ethnic dish. Dome Grown Produce’s fresh veggies make up this salad of romaine, spinach and butter lettuce with sliced carrots, tomatoes, and cucumber topped with maple tahini dressing. Roasted India chickpeas and smoky grilled eggplant give it a middle eastern touch. It comes with roasted pepper hummus for dipping the falafel balls and tofu cubes.
Zydeco Farm Salad — Zydeco’s champagne vinaigrette is so good, and you can buy it to take home. The Farm Salad is the perfect combination of sour, sweet, creamy and nutty. It has hazelnuts, dates, goat cheese and cornbread croutons. Add a protein like blackened shrimp with cajun spices to add some savory and bite.
Thai Peanut Salad from Jackson’s Corner — This is a fresh, not heavy take on a Thai salad. The dressing had a bit of a sour bite at first, but it was a light peanut flavor as it settled. Strips of chicken, extra cilantro, radishes slices, and peanuts are plentiful over a spring mix.
Raspberry Salad at The Phoenix — This salad is fresh and fruity, but the dressing tasted like it had too much sweet yogurt. The salad included all the right flavors: Frisée lettuce (curly endives) and very fresh baby greens, French creamy goat cheese, craisins, fresh raspberries (only about six). I ordered it with steak to go. The steak came in a single chunk that I needed to cut, but it was perfectly cooked.
Blackened Wild Coho & Fritter Salad at Brother Jon’s Alehouse downtown — A large piece of blackened wild coho sits atop mixed greens with balsamic dressing and two fried goat cheese fritters. Roasted grape tomatoes and shaved red onion round out the flavor. This salad missed the top five as the salmon was thin and on the dry side.
Drake’s Grilled Kale Salad at Washington Dining and Cocktails — Oddly, this salad is not available at Drake, this grilled Kale salad has been a popular choice. Grilling the kale makes it tender and takes away the bitterness as does the graceful green goddess dressing. Toasted quinoa adds nuttiness. Crispy sweet potatoes adds sweetness. Avocado, feta, blue cheese, applewood smoked bacon can be added for $3 each. Grilled steak, chicken breast, daily fish or three prawns add protein.
Any salad from Active Culture — Balanced quantities of fresh ingredients make Active Culture salads an excellent choice. The Big Salad Organic tops mixed greens, organic brown rice, organic lentils, organic garbanzo beans, carrot, red cabbage, cucumber, red onion, tomato, avocado, sprouts, sunflower seeds, seasoning and house vinaigrette. The Heaven’s Blend is a mix of organic greens, carrot, beet, red onion, fennel, cranberries, walnuts, crumbled goat cheese and house vinaigrette.
July 30, 2020 at 05:00PM
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Central Oregon restaurants mixing flavorful salads | lifestyle - Bend Bulletin
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