Midtown Lunch

You know how I feel about salads… and I’m equally turned off by antiseptic Midtown chains. So naturally places like Chop’t and Just Salads (who are merely co-opting the salad portion of the generic Midtown deli) don’t rank high on my list of places to eat. However, occasionally they will do something that piques my interest. Lure me in with something unhealthy… or Asian… or both! (Like the General Tso’s salad dressing at Chop’t.) Clearly Just Salad has taken notice, because they sent me this interesting email the other day:

Hi Zach, Hope all is well. We met a couple years back shortly after our first location opened at 320 Park Ave (We didn’t want you to take pics in store after NY Mag article). I read Midtown Lunch often so I know you are not a big fan of salads. That being said, we just recently unveiled some new menu changes that you may be interested in. These items include:

• Buffalo Chicken wrap for $6.25 which includes Romaine-Iceberg, Buffalo Chicken, Reduced Fat cheddar, Tortilla Strips, Celery and Buttermilk Ranch dressing.
• Thai Chicken Crunch wrap for $6.25 which includes Romaine, Grilled Chicken, Chinese Noodles, Celery, Carrots and our new Spicy Thai Peanut dressing.
• New dressing: Smokey Poblano Ranch

Uh… did you say Chinese crunchy noodles? Sir, you clearly know me better than I thought possible.

Ok, so I’m admit it… I love Chinese crunchy noodles. In wonton soup, eaten plain, whatever.  They’re one of the few redeeming qualities of a salad bar. And I also love wraps (at their best they’re like non-Mexican burritos), and in theory a Spicy thai peanut dressing could be tasty… right? So without bothering to consider the irony of a place called Just Salad serving wraps, I actually decided to try this thing.

I do occasionally feel the need to eat fresh veggies, so I figure if I’m going to do it they might as well be smothered in peanut sauce and paired with crunchy fried Chinese noodles.  The thing was unremarkable, in that’s it’s pretty simply  the sum of all it’s parts.  White meat salad bar chicken, lettuce, shredded carrots, and celery.  They chop the whole thing up for you, but thankfully the Chinese noodles still retain their crunch.  And the peanut sauce dressing had  a surprising kick.  Not bad at all.

Would I go out of my way for this thing?  Hells no.  But I understand that some of you have co-workers who like to eat at places like this. And maybe you’re single, and want to mingle.  In other words, if I was forced (by circumstances beyond my control) to eat at a place like Just Salad, I can take solace in knowing that there is something there I wouldn’t mind eating.  And with me, that is the biggest victory Just Salad could hope to achieve.

Just Salads (Multiple Locations) 212-244-1111

• 320 Park Ave.
• 134 W. 37th (btw. 7+B’way)
• 30 Rock (concourse level)
• 3rd Ave. (btw. 39+40th)