HAPPY GRAZING

The Ubiquitous Salad Bar

The last thing most people think of when they hear the word ‘bar’ is roughage, except maybe for the olives in a martini. But for many diners, ‘salad’ is now a word now inextricably linked with the word ‘bar’. In fact, salad bars have become an indelible fixture in our country’s culinary landscape. First and foremost this is a result of the current obsession with healthy food and losing weight. Secondly, salad bars are also the answer to the fast paced, on-the-go lifestyle that defines much of our present society. They make for a quick lunch or dinner since there is no time wasted waiting for the food to arrive. Expediency can be enhanced even further by quickly filling a to-go container and getting on your way.

On a deeper level, I think salad bars are also popular because of the freedom of choice they offer. It is inherently satisfying to human nature to be able to choose whatever we want, and have many options over which to exercise that liberty. Holding all other factors constant, the larger and more diverse the salad bar, the more it appeals.

Like countless other food and culinary creations the origins of the salad bar are lost in time. Multiple people and institutions take credit for its invention. Supposedly, a 1951 restaurant called The Cliffs in Illinois advertised a salad bar. The New York Times asserts that the first salad bars appeared in 1960s steakhouses in the Big Apple. Rax Restaurants, a Midwest chain, claims it introduced the first salad bar, also in the 1960s. In the same decade, the genesis of the salad bar is declared by a Hawaiian Steakhouse. A final contender for the salad bar’s debut is Richard Melman’s Chicago restaurant RJ Grunts in 1971. Of course it’s always possible that more than one source conceived the idea, albeit at different times. Regardless of its history, the idea caught on and now salad bars appear everywhere. They do vary a great deal from eatery to eatery but generally a comprehensive salad bar should have choices from each of these categories: green salad greens, vegetables, meats and cheeses, carbohydrates, fruits, miscellaneous garnishes, and dressings.

Salad bars at home are also the norm now, both indoors and outdoors and to impress need at least one selection from all those categories too.

Food safety is a paramount concern with salad bars. You need to be aware of a number of issues when evaluating one. First and foremost, does all the food appear fresh? Are all the greens and vegetables thoroughly washed and then dried? Items languishing in a pool of water will wilt and can be a breeding ground for bacteria. Any sign of aging, wilted, or otherwise spoiled food should ring loud warning bells.
Is the overall bar clean and organized? A good establishment will have staff available to clean spills and errant bits of food, as well as restock the items, utensils, and plates. Older, half empty containers of food should be replaced, not topped off with fresh offerings. Does the salad bar have ‘sneeze guards’ 14-18 inches above the food to protect it? SaladBar4-(1).jpg

Is everything at the right temperature? Cold foods should be held at 40 degrees or below and hot foods at 140 degrees or above, and absolutely no longer than 4 hours, according to the Food & Drug Association. Some would argue even less. Forty to 140 degrees is the danger zone within which bacteria can multiply the fastest.

If all this is good, then happy grazing!