A dish containing avocado, halved boiled eggs, tomato pieces, and two crispy bacon strips, all garnished with chopped chives, served on a white plate with a knife.

When It’s Hot, Five summer salads

By Jim Ayres

If you work from home (as I do) or have been sick lately (as have I) you may only have a fleeting knowledge that the height of summer is upon us. It’s hot and humid out there, so it’s time to dive into crisp, refreshing salads. Here are five of my favorite salads in the Houston area.

Italian Family Salad at Paulie’s, 1834 Westheimer. Paulie’s has some delicious housemade pastas and nightly dinner specials. But when I go, I crave this giant of a salad. In addition to romaine lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, and celery, generous bites of salami and mozzarella give the salad its meaty kick. It’s all topped with Parmesan and an amazing black olive vinaigrette. For a final touch, slice open a pepperoncini and squirt it all over the salad before digging in.

Salmon & Avocado Salad at Moxie’s, 5000 Westheimer. When I finish one of my Homegoods treasure hunts, Moxie’s Salmon & Avocado Cobb Salad is the perfect repast. It’s delicious art, with an indulgent Scottish salmon filet, edges perfectly crisp, atop an iceberg disk. Bacon, a seriously cute little boiled egg, and feta cheese gild this lily, while a new peppercorn ranch and sundried tomato dressing adds welcome sweet and spicy notes.

Sausalito Chicken Crunch Salad at Barnaby’s, 604 Fairview and other locations. I’m so glad this is now a permanent fixture on Barnaby’s excellent salad menu. Imagine a mountain of lettuces, cabbage, roasted chicken, jicama, grape tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, queso fresco, peanuts and tortilla strips. Then mix it all together with a cumin-infused vinaigrette, and you have one of the most mouthwatering Southwest style salads in the city.

Vegan Taco Salad at Local Foods, 2555 Kirby Drive and other locations. You’ve heard of the meatless “miracle†burger. The Beyond Meat plant-based brand is the rage in supermarkets. Now, Local Foods brings us this beautiful salad and it’s muy bueno. You’ll swear the vegan ground “beef†is the real thing, while avocado, red onion, kale and romaine, cilantro-flecked corn and a lime vinaigrette definitely are the real things. Of course, I take mine home and add sour cream. Who will know?

Burrata and Apples at Eloise Nichols Grill & Liquors, 2400 Mid Lane. Now here’s a twist on Caprese you may never have tried — or thought of — before. Crisp, tart Granny Smith apples, sliced so perfectly, substitute for tomatoes here. Burrata may be traditional, but it’s creamier than plain old mozzarella. Lemony sorrel is an intense switch from basil, hazelnut is even nuttier than Parmesan, and a piquant olive oil tops the whole thing off. Looking for a more traditional Caprese salad? I suggest the Mozzarella and Tomatoes at Postino, 642 Yale and soon on Pacific Street in Montrose!

There’s no room to get into the many wedge salads around town, but I assure you, those hunks of iceberg with blue cheese and bacon are all good, and I order one any time I see it on a menu. Salad days are here, indeed!

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