Hot Take on a Cold Salad

Let me tell you, I am an adventurous eater, always have been. However, I am a salad skeptic.  To me restaurant salads have always been this unloveable piling of cold, pre-packed veggies that are either over or under dressed, and definitely NOT worth the same price as an entree.  Even the way it’s plated is irksome, the word tossed sounds careless and without regard.  And before you start with the, “didja try the…” yes, I’ve had the steak salad, I’ve had the buffalo chicken, the cobb, the chef, the Caesar…  No amount of cheese, or deli meat, or creamy sauces will distract me from the mountain of soulless iceberg lettuce or stringy, unwieldy, spring mix that lies hidden below!  But I digress. I have come here today to tell you about a salad that lived up to the Yelp hype and changed my idea about what restaurant salads could be.

LU LU Craft Bar + Kitchen in Richland, WA has a thoughtful menu that focuses on locally sourced ingredients and therefore has prices that reflect the quality of those ingredients.  That being said, for those of us ballin on a budget LU LU also has an incredible happy hour with a great selection of their best appetizers and signature cocktails and desserts to choose from.  I always make sure to get their deep fried zucchini with the lemon aioli, they’re huge and very shareable. 

But this time, I’m here for the LU LU white.  As the name suggests this salad consists of white and light colored ingredients: Belgian endive, fennel bulb, cauliflower, parmesan cheese, hearts of palm,  dressed with a white balsamic vinaigrette, and topped with hazelnuts. Visually it’s very appealing and delicately arranged. Both appetite and desire are largely triggered by appearance, this salad was no exception, I knew I was in for something special.  My next sense to be delighted was taste.  The LU LU white is a harmonious blend of tangy vinaigrette over fresh, bright veggies that are their own chorus of a mild nuttiness and a hint of sweet anise from the fennel, articulated by pops of saltiness from the parmesan with a deep, almost buttery flavor of the hazelnut topping. The texture was as unique as the flavor. All in the same bite I could experience a tender heart of palm, a crisp endive, a crumbly cauliflower, the snap of fennel and the crunch of hazelnut.  This salad made me a believer, #notallsalads. Go. Be transformed.