I agree on sugar in the dressing. Sugar seems to be sneaking into everything these days. If I wanted a sweet dressing, I'd just put grape jelly on my lettuce.

I don't dislike cold plates as much as hot plates right out of the dishwasher -- I watch my lettuce wilt.

When you raised the question of salads being prepared ahead its funny because I never considered that salads would not be prepared ahead of time. At home (at least until bags of greens came along) didn't you wash and then chill the greens? Isn't that preparing a salad ahead of time?

There are many open kitchen restaurants in our "other city" - Portland Maine. And you will see a chilled plated used to plate a freshly made salad. Warm salads on a room temperature plate also imply a made ahead salad waitng for service.

RtSO, I think what EL means is having the actual serving arranged on the salad plates and then refrigerated, which is not quite the same thing. And I still wash and chill some of our greens ahead of time--not everything comes triple-washed.

My DW and I like our salads wet, so we usually order extra dressing. We also usually share one because they are large enough for two if you want room left for the rest of the meal.

At a perfect restaurant the salads would be individually made, cut and assembled to order. Most of the places I wind up at probably buy the large bags of cut greens directly from Sysco, along with the croutons, dressings, and tomatoes.

Is it not possible that some restaurants actually chill their salad plates before assembling the salad? I agree with the other Joyce; hot salad plates are unacceptable and I have sent them away.

Pepper grinders: Frankly, I would much rather have the grinder handed to me for operation than having to say "stop." And if the grinder isn't along for the ride when an entree is served, why not ask for it?

Over-salting and added sugar: EL, you are being bombarded on both fronts! Granted, the over-salting will be difficult to eradicate short of storming the kitchen, but adding sugar to salad dressing is just, well, gross. If this persists, I may have to carry my own.

We should WISH it's only sugar in salad dressings--more often than not I'd bet it's HFCS (already liquid, y'know). The only bottled dressing I buy is Thousand Island; 95% of the time I just make a simple vinaigrette. I recently made the Caesar dressing recipe in "Joy of Cooking," and it's so good I could eat it with a spoon! It only takes a couple of minutes with the processor.

[groan] You can blame our "fat-free" society for the sweet dressings. Low fat and fat free dressings tend to have HF corn syrup as a main ingredient because it helps with the viscosity when you take away the fat. Problem is, you get sweet with it. yuk.

I have been having a hard time ordering salads in casual restaurants over the last few years because it is so difficult to find restaurants that actually have a 'full fat' salad dressing. Proprietors have told me that they are only carrying dressings that their patrons will eat and sadly, that means that most of what they carry is low fat or fat free.

Personally, I would rather eat less full-fat dressing than eat that sugary junk. But apparently my tastes are not shared by the majority. Or folks have gotten so used to sweet tasting dressings...

Having been a salad girl, I can say that a cold plate doesn't mean that the salad was sitting on that plate pre-made. Cold food should be served on chilled plates, just as hot food is served on warmed plates. Dried, browning, and limp greens are more an indicator that the salad is old.

Wet salad? Pardon me, but that sounds a little unsual - not surprising from you RiE :) That just goes against generations of salad drying and salad spinning. The horror!

SALAD DRESSING IS DECADENT

“America is the only country that went from barbarism to decadence without civilization in between.”
- Oscar Wilde

Terriermom, that's wet with dressing. I agree that the ingredients should be dry prior to dressing them. My bad.

I'm with RiE, salad wetted with lots of dressing. Think of it as a very course gazpacho.

Oh, wet with dressing. I've never heard that expression before. When I was younger I went to an Italian restaurant and the waiter offered a special of pasta with white clam sauce. I imagined some scary version of clams alfredo. Of course, white clam sauce is more like clear. Is Mr. Owl having a salad seizure?

I just came from from seeing a band (sucky)and my ears are ringing, so front me some slack. Wet salad? Cold plates? I don't know this seems a little Marie Antionette. I'm confused. Why nott just have your slave-a-trons make your salad at your tables like they do in Peru. Ding a ding a ding ding ... now I have this song in my head (I know) from Marie Antoinette the movie. I don't know, it works. Freakin' bass amps, my ears are still ringing.

Owlie.......WHere are U hding? Nobody can find you!! Come out come out wherver you are! Gooftard! Blehhh

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7X9HojJ6N5I

Okay that was just retarded, but it did work in the movie in a weird way

Bring it for real here:
I had no idea Siouxsie was this cool before she got all goth-freaky on us
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfnYu2Jergk

Yeah yeh I know, I always post music stuff. That's my dealio.

Hmmm, 2:29 a.m. on a Friday and you're at home RC? You are slowing down. I'll have none of your decadent ways. At that time of night I am in my lair, the Halcyonest, as Morpheus guides me through the dark waters of night.