A chopped salad includes ingredients that -- you guessed it -- have been cut to uniform size and then mixed in some fashion depending on the style of the salad.
A simple enough concept, yet the folks at Jimmy'Z Kitchen missed the mark with the big bowl of green salad leaves, carrot slivers, crumbled cheese (seemingly a combination of feta and blue) all topped with chopped cucumbers and tomatoes ($6.99).
But there are myriad chopped salads on restaurant menus throughout Dade County that do offer crunch, flavor and consistency and here are a few of our favorites.
1. Joe's Stone Crab chopped salad ($5.95/$9.25). People rave about this simple bowl of perfectly diced vegetables in Joe's famous vinaigrette. The sweetness of the honey-roasted peanuts is offset by the salty feta and black olives.There's a reason folks line up out the door.
2. California Pizza Kitchen BBQ chopped salad ($12.49). The beauty of chain restaurants is consistency. A chopped salad at CPK on Miracle Mile is just as good as the one you'll find at their Beverly Hills location. The original chopped salad ($11.99) is made even better with the addition of sweet corn, jicama, cilantro and tortilla strips. Every bite size spoonful is worth digging back in for more.
3. The Daily Creative Food Co.'s Collins Avenue chopped ($8.95) is not your usual chopped salad. With a asparagus spears and parmesan cheese topped with their secret vinaigrette that has hints of truffle flavor this is something for the decadent chopped lover.
4. Salad Creations offers the most variety for chopped lovers. ($6.95 to $12.50) Offering a wide range of signature salads or a make-your-own version. Be it Ceasar, Thai crunch, sesame shrimp or chicken cobb, once you say the words "chop it please" the green goodness in the bowl is given instant bite size uniformity.
5. Prime One Twelve's $19 chopped salad. For the big spenders in the crowd, this chopped salad is pricey but fans will tell you it's worth every penny with each bite full of romaine, spinach, hearts of palm, smoked bacon, celery hearts and asparagus. A crunchy salad with a creamy green goddess dressing, it's indulgence in every bite.
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