Before we get started, I want to take just a second to say how saddened I am by the event in Charleston. My heart has been so heavy since the shootings. My thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of the victims.
Hi everyone! I hope you had a wonderful Father's Day. I got to spend time will my dad and my brother and Jimmy. We went to brunch, took Oliver to the pool, and finished the day at Nuevo Laredo (for the second week in a row). It was a very relaxing and peaceful day. It was much needed after the craziness of last week. I feel like I owe an apology to everyone for not writing. I was facing an already crazy week, and then we had a funeral in our family, so it just knocked my blog posts too far down the line. I have some good posts lined up for you this week though. :)
This week, I've compiled a list of the five best salads in Atlanta. I am a huge fan of salads for lunch or dinner, and I eat them most days of the week. As a salad expert myself, I am very picky about the types of salad I like, and don't settle for just any old bag of lettuce. The main things I look for in a great salad are a good ratio of protein to greens. If there is not enough protein then I get hungry later in the day... so skimping on the meat cuts youu right off this list :). The salad must also have an exceptional dressing. Each salad on the list comes with a house dressing that is over the top. No Hidden Valley for this girl. And now... the 5 Best Salads in Atlanta.
1. Cafe at Pharr - Walnut Chicken Salad Salad Plate
This is my go to weekday lunch. It's super fast and healthy. The dressing is light with the right amount of ginger. The chicken salad is heavy on the chicken and light on the mayo, which I enjoy. Dessert also comes with it, so you don't have to feel guilty eating it!
Insider's Tip: if you are really hungry go with a friend and slplit an extra scoop of chicken salad.
2. Houston's - I couldn't choose just one!!!
My brother's girlfriend is not from Atlanta. She did not grow up knowing that Houston's was THE PLACE to eat. There is a chance that we built it up too much before we took her there, but she admits that these salads are out of this world.
I know I called this list the 5 Best Salads, but Houston's gets 2 because it's Houston's and I said so. One is for a lighter lunch, and one is more decadent.
I am a massive fan of fresh corn on a salad, and this delivers. The peanut sauce and the crunch of the tortilla strips make this the perfect lunch treat.
This might be my favorite salad of all time. The hot fried chicken against the creamy avocado is perfection. Insider's tip: If you want to be healthier or are gluten free, you can order grilled chicken. Also, you can order extra buttermilk ranch on the side if you do not want to be healthy and would rather dip every bite into this dressing perfection. I've done both depending on my scale number that morning.
A few years ago my mom took my brother and me on a trip to the south of France. I'm not sure if we are uncultured or just picky eaters, but the offerings of duck in cold gel and tiny portions of fish did not appeal to us. So much so that during that trip we went to McDonald's more than 5 times. On my favorite day of the trip we went to a beach club called Club 55 in St. Tropez. To this day, it was the swankiest place I've ever been. I kept looking out at the yachts on the water expecting Beyonce and Jay-Z to come rolling in any second. For lunch, I ordered a salad with a poached egg on top, and it was the happiest my stomach was that entire trip! The warm yoke ran out into the lettuce and large hunks of bacon, and it was heaven.
Back in the US, I struggled with my search for a warm egg salad. When I finally discovered one at the Flying Biscuit, I went 5 days in a row. No joke. My roommate at the time kept warning me I was going to wear myself out, but I went back anyway. The dressing is perfect, the eggs are runny, and the crispy potatoes are a sneaky indulgence for a gluten free salad eater.
This is not actually on the salad section of the menu, but I'm counting it anyway. Jimmy and I get this for dinner at least once a week. If you put the whole meal in a bowl, top it with the chicken from the kabobs, and douse it with dressing, it's pure magic. There is something about warm rice and feta cheese that just makes me happy. Zoe's also has some of the best house salad dressing in town, so check it out soon.
Let's be honest. If I'm going to eat Mexican food, I'm going for the chips. I like to trick myself into thinking it's somewhat healthy by ordering a salad after I've eaten a basket or two of chips. This pork and mango salad does just that. It's indulgent while still feeling light. The best part about the salad is that they don't skimp on the mango. The creamy dressing with the sweet mango and the grill flavor of the peppers is really perfection.
What are some of your favorite salads in Atlanta? I'd love to hear about them in the comment section!
