Vinaigrette

Don’t be fooled by Vinaigrette’s focus on fresh, local, organic salads: There’s much more to this local favorite, both in terms of what’s on the menu (fantastic sandwiches, desserts, wine and more) and how it defines “salad.” What do we mean by that? Well, this isn’t your run-of-the-mill mixed-greens affair; instead, each salad represents an explosion of taste and color. Also, most of them have clever names. Take “Eat Your Peas,” which piles sautéed mushrooms, crispy bacon and tart Asiago cheese atop baby lettuce and sweet peas, or “Arugula Duck,” which pairs goat cheese with balsamic roasted pears, arugula and duck confit. If that’s not enough, the menu offers suggestions for proteins that pair well with certain salads (lemon-herb chicken with Eat Your Peas, for instance), and bread is available upon request. Added plus: Vinaigrette sources many of its ingredients from its own farm in Nambé, so you can even feel good about eating well.