Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Who Likes Fancy Salads?

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Posted by Joshua Waaland (Member # 287) on 01-12-2009, 11:33 PM:

For the last couple of years I have noticed a steady rise in the number of fancy salads available at restaurants and even fast food joints. Inversely, I have noticed a steady decline in salad bars (nearly extinct) and good old fashioned regular salads.

When I refer to "fancy salads" I am referring to any salad that contains anything other than the classic salad toppings. For example: dried cranberries, nuts, all colors of lettuce and leafy things that look like those prickly weeds that grow in abundance in my back yard no matter how hard I try to kill them with weed killer and dressings like basalmic vinegarette or oriental sesame ginger.

My wife loves salads that have all that stuff on them. Now in the past I have had no problem with that (though I thought it was gross), because far be it from me to tell someone else what they should eat. My gripe is that sometimes I just want a good old frickin salad and can't find one at a restaurant to save my life. I want iceberg lettuce, bacon bits, shredded cheese, onions, blue cheese or ranch dressing, tomatoes and croutons. Good luck trying to find anything like this on a menu nowadays. The only two exceptions that come to my mind are Outback Steakhouse and Olive Garden. I took a poll at work today and the three people I work with love the fancy salad crap. The more absurd the toppings, the better they like it.

Now before you start telling me how everyone is more health conscious these days and that the new salads are better for you, save it. Just look at the calorie content of one of those newer type salad dressings and tell me it's better for you. In most cases it's not. I know they say that iceberg lettuce is of little nutritional value too but the argument could be made it helps you lose weight then since it has few calories.

I just don't understand the fascination with this stuff. Those red and purple lettuces make me gag and they are totally slimey and limp. I like my lettuce to crunch, not slither. I just can't believe how everyone has jumped on this pansy ass, pinky in the air salad craze! It reminds me of the snooty coffee shop craze that started back in the nineties. [Roll Eyes]

Posted by Tony Bandiera Jr (Member # 2365) on 01-12-2009, 11:53 PM:

C'mon Joshua, don't hold back man!! Tell us how you really feel!! [evil]

I agree to a point, yeah the salads have become loaded down with a lot of extra crap..but I think the real reason is simple: economics. Salads and a lot of those toppings are cheap to buy in bulk, so showing off a fancy salad helps to hide the fact that the main course is lacking in either quantity or quality. [Smile]

Posted by Joshua Waaland (Member # 287) on 01-13-2009, 12:06 AM:

quote:
C'mon Joshua, don't hold back man!! Tell us how you really feel!!

My wife says I will have a heart attack before I am 40. I can't imagine why. [Wink]

Posted by Robert John Jeromson (Member # 2559) on 01-13-2009, 12:45 AM:

Salad... ????

Posted by John Hawkinson (Member # 1135) on 01-13-2009, 01:38 AM:

Just because it's not on the menu doesn't mean you can't order it. Just ask for a plain salad.

--jhawk

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 01-13-2009, 02:21 AM:

Now, head to Golden Corral and build your own massive salad - that's dinner in itself.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 01-13-2009, 04:35 AM:

Its good to know I'm not the only person who feels a salad shouldn't look like it came from the result of a weed-whacker in an abandoned field.

People are really taking the "fancy salad/weed salad" thing too far. When I was at TFF this last year they served us a salad that I am pretty sure did not have any of the following ingredients: lettuce, bacon bits, shredded cheese, onions, tomatoes, croutons or dressing of any sort. I could've literally made it in about 10 seconds with a shovel in my backyard, yet everyone around acted as if it was better than sex.

I'm with you, I don't get it. Maybe this is because I don't own a Mac computer, I do not wear black plastic framed glasses, I am not emo, I have NEVER drank Starbucks coffee and I don't believe I am a superior being. I took a stand against this pompous shit a long time ago and I just refuse to eat it. Come join the club of normalcy and lets go to Olive Garden where they actually understand what a salad is, or better yet lets go split a cow and watch as everyone who likes those fucked up salads faints at the mere thought of what we are eating! [Moon]

Posted by Jonathan Althaus (Member # 5042) on 01-13-2009, 02:44 PM:

That's why I love Tx Roadhouse. No bullshit. If you ask for a house salad, it has lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, and croutons with ranch. Add a medium-rare sirloin with a baked potato and you have one helluva meal. Plus you're only out 10-12 bucks. Just don;t go there if you're allergic to peanuts.

Posted by Mike Heenan (Member # 392) on 01-13-2009, 03:24 PM:

Josh, those bacon bits, shredded cheese and blue cheese or ranch dressing certainly add up calorie wise. I always try to get a vinagerette dressing if I can, or something fat free (but the trade off is the fat free dressings usually have sugar in them, although calorie wise its much lower). Ironically most people don't know that salads can have almost as many calories/fat in them as a burger if they're not careful.

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 01-13-2009, 03:48 PM:

I like big salads from time to time, but don't like all the twigs and bits of oranges and other odd things that get thrown in from time to time. The combination of ingredients has to taste good, not strange. Some of the salads I see being offered at places like Atlanta Bread Company have me wondering if some kind of mass science experiment is taking place.

The various kinds of salad dressings and other toppings offered make many big salads a laughable joke of hypocrisy. I might as well eat a couple of bacon and cheese loaded flame-broiled Whoppers from Burger King and end up with the same calorie, fat and cholesterol count.

My cholesterol tries to run a bit high, a genetic trait common in people with type A+ blood. If it wouldn't kill me, I'd like to take my liver out of my body and then beat on it for being such a bastard. I'd like to kick it like a football as a means of punishment, "stop churning out so much blood mud, asshole!"

I think a lot of people are getting suckered when eating what they think is a healthy salad. Better inspect those ingredients. If you've been eating those big salads for awhile, better go get that cholesterol level checked pronto. Probably could have been eating steak the whole damned time and not been in any worse shape.

Posted by Chris Slycord (Member # 4239) on 01-13-2009, 04:48 PM:

Iceberg lettuce is worthless. It's over 95% water and a very slight amount of nutrients.

Romaine is not only tastier but is better for you too.

And when you say "bacon bits" they better be made of actual bacon. The fake stuff is simply bad.

And I concur on the vinaigrette dressing. Even just combining olive oil and balsamic vinegar is fantastic.

Posted by Scott D. Neff (Member # 185) on 01-13-2009, 06:47 PM:

I agree fully on the weed-clipping salads, those are no good. I used to be a proponent of only iceberg, but in the last few years Romaine has really made an impression on me. So tasty.

I love me a good salad but really the only good place to build my own is at Sweet Tomatoes, Golden Corral might as well be serving food from a nursing home. There is a place in my neighborhood that makes GREAT salads, but they would fall into the fancy salad category that you all have been ranting about. But damn it's so good.

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 01-13-2009, 06:49 PM:

Or, head to a Chuck-a-Rama to build up a nasty huge salad...

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 01-13-2009, 07:29 PM:

I avoid all salads, period. None are worthy or could ever be. I might as well eat air. I suppose women can be allowed to eat salads from time to time, but a man eating a salad is akin to a man holding a purse. Men should eat ONLY things that taste good. And by "taste good" I mean things that taste good to me. Who the hell wants to live until they are 80? Not me, I don't want to be the slow old fuck who bothers everyone else and destroys young people's lives because they have to take care of me because I simply won't die.

Now gimme that double cheeseburger!

Posted by Tyler Potts (Member # 4952) on 01-13-2009, 07:49 PM:

I had a friend who went all health food crazy for a year. Dumping flax seed on her tasteless cereal, bran this and that... and those weird pubic hair weed salads.

Granted, when she stuck to everything and killing herself at the gym, she looked great. Like 3% body fat ripped lookin'. But she's a roundy asian by nature and Wendy's combos took over again...

When you first said fancy salads I thought you meant like the salad bar at a Ruby Tuesday. I'll go there get a meal with the salad bar, make some amazing salad stacked high with pasta/egg/mozzarella salad tucked almost falling off a corner of those small square plates. The meal comes, I eat, I pay, then go back for more crazy awesome salad (hey, they said all you can eat salad bar!).

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 01-13-2009, 08:39 PM:

I admit I like my greens but then I also like my red meat
I like a mix of tastes
mandarine oranges and almonds do work well with chicken on a salad as doo pine nuts on a salmon fillet salad
I think at the end of the meal the only thing that counts was it enjoyable

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 01-14-2009, 02:02 AM:

Oh... and Brad does own a Mac. I witnessed him purchase it. [Smile]

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 01-14-2009, 02:04 AM:

So, what's the big deal about owning/not owning a MAC - they work like a computer should ...(sorry, quick change of subject there....)

Go ahead and love the red meat, but get the fibre behind it so it won't stick to the intestines...

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 01-14-2009, 11:44 AM:

I also got rid of the Mac because the uncrashable system kept crashing. [Razz]

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 01-14-2009, 11:50 AM:

User error.

Posted by Scott D. Neff (Member # 185) on 01-14-2009, 11:58 AM:

Joe. Brad doesn't make errors. Only Steve Jobs does.

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 01-14-2009, 04:08 PM:

Well, shit.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 01-14-2009, 04:21 PM:

quote: Joe Redifer
Who the hell wants to live until they are 80? Not me, I don't want to be the slow old fuck

You just say that because you're 20-something. Give it 30 years, Mr. Hope-I-Die-Before-I-Get-Old. [Razz]

I agree with you totally on the salads. I hate all salads.

Posted by Joshua Waaland (Member # 287) on 01-14-2009, 11:31 PM:

quote: Chris Slycord
Iceberg lettuce is worthless. It's over 95% water and a very slight amount of nutrients.

...and the human body is made up of 60%-70% water (depending on which web sites you check) so it stands to reason that something that is made up of mostly water would be good for your body.

Got this off of the web...looks like it isn't quite so worthless after all.

"It's an excellent source of vitamin K with one-sixth of a medium head (about six large leaves) containing 25 percent of your daily requirement. Notably, a serving also contains 8 percent of your daily requirement for vitamin A and 6 percent for folate, says Nicholas D. Gillitt, Ph.D., nutrition researcher at Dole Nutrition Institute in California. Although water accounts for more than 95 percent of its weight, iceberg lettuce also contains a moderate amount of fiber and supplies modest amounts of omega-3 fats, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, says Christopher E. Ramsden, M.D., author of Nutrition by the Numbers (Applied Nutritional Biochemistry, 2007). And, of course, it's low in calories."

quote:
When you first said fancy salads I thought you meant like the salad bar at a Ruby Tuesday. I'll go there get a meal with the salad bar, make some amazing salad stacked high with pasta/egg/mozzarella salad tucked almost falling off a corner of those small square plates. The meal comes, I eat, I pay, then go back for more crazy awesome salad (hey, they said all you can eat salad bar!).

I left out Ruby Tuesday. They are the ONLY place left that I know of with a salad bar besides Pizza Hut's poor excuse for a salad bar. Ruby's is expensive but I will go there just for the salad bar.

quote: Bobby Henderson
I like big salads from time to time, but don't like all the twigs and bits of oranges and other odd things that get thrown in from time to time.

I forgot about the mini oranges. [puke]

Why the hell are people putting a citrus fruit on a vegetable salad anyways?! What is wrong with these people?! I used to to not care so much when they ate these ridiculous salads, but since I can no longer get the salad I like at most restaurants, I'm speaking up.

quote: Joe Redifer
I avoid all salads, period. None are worthy or could ever be. I might as well eat air. I suppose women can be allowed to eat salads from time to time, but a man eating a salad is akin to a man holding a purse. Men should eat ONLY things that taste good. And by "taste good" I mean things that taste good to me.

Joe, you never fail to make me laugh. [Big Grin]

Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 01-15-2009, 12:22 AM:

quote: Scott D. Neff
Joe. Brad doesn't make errors. Only Steve Jobs does.

OUCH! That's hilarious Scott! [beer]

Posted by Chris Slycord (Member # 4239) on 01-15-2009, 01:00 AM:

quote: Joshua Waaland
...and the human body is made up of 60%-70% water (depending on which web sites you check) so it stands to reason that something that is made up of mostly water would be good for your body.

I think it stands to reason that if you are eating something for its high content of water then you should be drinking water instead.

quote: Joshua Waaland
Got this off of the web...looks like it isn't quite so worthless after all.

Sure it isn't entirely worthless, but compared to something like Romaine it sure is.

Here's a comparison:
Romaine has the same number of Calories as iceberg but it also has:
1) Slightly more protein and fiber
2) 60% more calcium
3) 48% more potassium
4) 653% more vitamin C
5) 300% more folate
6) 262% more vitamin K
7) 898% more beta carotene
8) 7056% more lutein + zeaxanthin

In short: romaine destroys iceberg when it comes to nutrition.

Posted by Sam Graham (Member # 2889) on 01-15-2009, 12:36 PM:

"Fancy Salad" would be a good band name.

I'm just saying...

Posted by Joshua Waaland (Member # 287) on 01-15-2009, 02:03 PM:

quote: Chris Slycord
In short: romaine destroys iceberg when it comes to nutrition.

Nutrition is a nice by product, but I don't really give a rats ass about the nutrition. I want something that tastes good. [Wink]

Fancy Salad WOULD be a great name for a band! [thumbsup]

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 01-15-2009, 02:58 PM:

quote: Scott D. Neff
Joe. Brad doesn't make errors. Only Steve Jobs does.

Sounds a little like a Chuck Norris joke. Chuck Norris can slam a revolving door.

Posted by Chris Slycord (Member # 4239) on 01-15-2009, 10:15 PM:

quote: Joshua Waaland
Nutrition is a nice by product, but I don't really give a rats ass about the nutrition. I want something that tastes good.

quote: Chris Slycord
Romaine is not only tastier but is better for you too.

Posted by Jon Miller (Member # 163) on 01-16-2009, 12:48 AM:

quote: Joshua Waaland
Nutrition is a nice by product, but I don't really give a rats ass about the nutrition. I want something that tastes good.

Then, how about a taco salad? It's a salad, right? [Smile]