by Terrance Mc Arthur
Our roving food critic Terrance Mc Arthur continues his search for great food in Sanger and the surrounding communities. Check out more Great Food Search here! Due to some computer issues, this column is a week later, but hey better late than never.
As the Valley moves from what it calls winter to the weather the rest of the nation considers flash frying, lighter food is recommended. Salads are a good alternative, but, being Americans, we have to “go big.” For this Great Food Search, I bring you…Salads on Parade!
La Haciendita, 1845 Academy Ave, Sanger, CA 93657—Chicken Salad—I’ve written about Sanger’s La Haciendita, where I first had a sope, but I decided to try their Chicken Salad, and I was pleased. Seared chunks of seasoned chicken, meaty tomatoes, and lots of avocado on a bed of lettuce with a creamy dressing. Lots of things I love to eat, and tasty, too.
There's a lot of avocado to like in the Chicken Salad from La Haciendita in Sanger.
Yosemite Falls Café, 4278 W Ashlan Ave, Fresno, CA 93722 (and other locations)—Black & Blue Salad ($11.99)—I eat here almost monthly with a mystery writers’ group, and have had holiday turkey dinners, but I decided to give the Black & Blue Salad a whirl, and it left me dizzy. Blackened strips of tri-tip on mixed greens, with blue cheese crumbles (I would call it bleu cheese, but when in Fresno….), bacon, tomato, avocado, and red onion, with a swirled BBQ Blue Cheese dressing on the side. This jumped out and took my taste buds hostage. All conversation stopped, except for ecstatic mmm-sounds.
If the B&B is too much for you, there is a “small” version for $9.99.
Rosa Linda’s Mexican Cuisine—2905 McCall Ave, Selma, CA 93662—Selma Super Salad ($7.95)—Look! Up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s…Selma Super Salad! Disguised as a mountain on my plate, it had powers far beyond normal salads. Iceberg lettuce that rose far above the packing-material qualities I usually associate with it, carrots, beets, tomatoes, olives, seriously-shredded chicken, cheese, sour cream, guacamole, and thousand-island dressing. A wondrous surprise that stands for Truth, Justice, and the American Way! (There are also branches of Rosa Linda’s in Fresno and Clovis)
The Selma Super Salad at Rosa Linda's in Selma is of heroic proportions.
Blossom Trail Café, 922 N Academy Ave, Sanger, CA 93657—Cobb Salad ($9.50) and Carne Asada Salad ($9.50)—I’ve wanted to review the Blossom Trail Café for ages, but it had been featured in Kings River Life in the past. I hope the statute of limitations is up, because I have found some salads there that are worthy of discussion.
The Cobb Salad is a mound of turkey, avocado, tomato, red onion, eggs, bacon, cheddar, blue cheese crumbles, and elongated triangles of Garlic bread that stick out of the salad like Yoda’s ears. It has a solid taste, and varies nicely from the Brown Derby original recipe from the Golden Age of Hollywood. There is an extra charge for the traditional chicken instead of the turkey.
A Carne Asada Salad? Why not! Steak strips, blue cheese crumbles, tomato, red onion, a bed of baby greens, green peppers, red peppers, and a berry vinaigrette, with the Yoda-ears garlic bread. Soft waves of flavor rolling along your tongue, superbly-tender meat, and a medley of tastes made this the champion of the dinner salads I tried this month.
It's the Carne Asada Salad at The Blossom Trail Cafe near Sanger. Doesn't the garlic bread make it look like the head of Yoda?It's the Carne Asada Salad at The Blossom Trail Cafe near Sanger. Doesn't the garlic bread make it look like the head of Yoda?
All of these restaurant salads were delicious, and I recommend each one. There is a limited-time salad that I also tried. Quizno’s has a nice Seafood Lobster Salad (with tomato and Romaine lettuce). It’s pretty good for a fast-food sandwich chain, and it also comes in a sub sandwich format.
Before I go, I’d like to mention a personal favorite that’s quick to make: a Red Fungus Salad. It’s really simple. Sliced tomato, sliced mushrooms, and ranch dressing. It doesn’t take long, it’s nice, and it’s my kind of comfort food.
Happy eating!
Check out more food articles and more of Terrance’s Great Food Search column in our Food Fun section.
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