I’m not one for fancy salads. If it’s got (non-iceberg) lettuce, fresh tomatoes and a splash of tangy dressing, I’m usually a happy camper.
But sometimes a fancy salad surprises me. For example, the endive/apple/gruyere concoction served at Backals (Scarsdale, NY) this past Easter Sunday.
Maybe it was the setting - the upstairs private room - or the fact that it was taking so long for the food to arrive. Or maybe it was the pre-splitting of the salad into two portions. (I gotta say, I dig this new-found courtesy for notorious appetizer sharers like me.)
Whatever the reason, this super-crunchy combo of veggies truly hit the spot. This Belgian Endive and Apple Salad from Cooking Light is the most comparable recipe I could find, but it doesn’t capture every detail of the restaurant one. For instance, ours came with a surprisingly non-intrusive balsamic vinaigrette that added flavor but didn’t undermine the crunch.
Unfortunately, all of the good vibes built up by the salad were wasted by the tasteless chicken sandwich I ordered as a follow-up. Sometimes, the salad really is mightier than the sandwich.
3 responses so far ↓
Mandy Eckert // April 3, 2008 at 8:35 pm
Ahhh, the pre-table splitting…. did you have to pay for this luxury as at most restaurants, or was this a nice place who includes it for free?
K // April 4, 2008 at 2:11 pm
Mmm. Just the list of ingredients alone are enough to make me salivate…
MF // April 4, 2008 at 9:55 pm
I didn’t get the check, so I don’t know if there was a fee.
But if there was, it was worth it.
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