Don’t get us wrong: We love a good cookout as much as the next friendly neighborhood alt-weekly newspaper staff, and there are plenty of hot dogs, brisket, rib racks and T-bones in our future this summer. But we’d be remiss not to enjoy a light, healthy salad here and there, and Nashville has no shortage of those on offer. Read below for a round-up of eight of our favorite salads from around the city, from the East Side to the Gulch, Germantown to 12South.
Avocado Crunch, Von Elrod’s, $11.95
To spot Von Elrod’s small selection of salads, you first have to make your way past the menu’s tantalizing array of carbs — giant house-made pretzels served with beer cheese and whipped butter, fried cheese curds with dill ranch for dipping, and Belgian-style fries smothered in garlic and Parmesan cheese. It’s all enough to make even the healthiest eater make Homer Simpson’s drool noise. But believe me, the Avocado Crunch salad is not an afterthought tagged on to appease the poor vegetarian who ends up at a sausage house in Germantown. The big ol’ bowl of bibb lettuce is piled high with grilled corn, black beans, spicy sliced radish and these awesome crispy cheddar crackers that taste like decadent Cheez-Its. The whole thing is smothered in a refreshing lime dressing that’s tasty enough to keep you from longing for the pile of poutine just delivered to the next table over. Besides, now that you’ve chosen a reviving salad over a sausage gut bomb, you still have room for a slice of Von Elrod’s seasonal pie. Who’s laughing now? MEGAN SELING
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