You can enjoy salad greens year‑round, but in spring they seem extra crispy and bursting with flavor. These fast-casual spots do salads right.
URBAN PLATES
Crossroads and The Market Place
Urban Plates presents scratch-prepared entrée salads and lots more amid urban-chic décor. Sustainably sourced ingredients and high-quality proteins include free-range chicken and California line-caught albacore; grilled, grass-fed steak arrives atop a lettuce blend with pineapple-mango salsa, jicama, mint, coconut, roasted cashews, a mild jalapeno-lime dressing and a slice of grilled focaccia. “Replenishers” include kombucha on tap and wine. Finish with the mango tart.
CROUTONS
The Square
More than half of the 18 salads at bustling Croutons begin with a mix of spring greens and romaine. The Pear and Blue Cheese adds candied walnuts and poppy seed vinaigrette. Anna’s Spring Chicken is one of six salads that feature the bird; two salads incorporate diced, roasted turkey breast; another spotlights albacore tuna. All are conveniently packaged to go, whether you dine in or take out.
TENDER GREENS
Spectrum Center, University Center
Seven Tender Greens salads offer a mini global jaunt. Chinese Chicken is a riot of wontons, peanuts, green onions, carrots, mizuna, bok choy and sesame-peanut dressing. Mediterranean Steak, ideal with wine on the shady patio, brings feta cheese, green olives, baby greens and more in a lemon vinaigrette. The Happy Vegan – farro with cranberry and almonds, quinoa with cucumber and beets, green hummus and tabbouleh – knows no borders.
