From A Past Issue Of The New Orleans Menu Daily Originally published June 29, 2006 Ten Best Entree Salads Here's the third part of our hot-weather series on dishes that are served cold. See the index for the ten-best lists on raw oysters and miscellaneous cold dishes. 1. Seared tuna and seared peppered filet mignon salad, Dakota. These are actually two different salads, both on the lunch menu. One day, I asked Chef Kim Kringlie to make a salad combining the two proteins, and it was terrific. Excellent dressing, too (the chef makes unusually fine salad dressings). 2. Crabmeat Siciliana Salad with a Seafood Martini on top, Cafe Giovanni. Here's another massive pile of crabmeat tossed with greens , but the special wrinkle here is that Chef Duke makes what he calls an "olivata" vinaigrette, which winds up being something like a loose, finely-chopped muffuletta olive salad. A friend told me he ordered this and the restaurant's seafood martini, and dumped the latter atop the former. Which also sounds good. 3. Godchaux salad, Galatoire's. The Godchaux is the last remaining of what was once a host of entree salads at Galatoire's named after downtown department stores. Of course, Godchaux's is long gone, but this great seafood salad carries the name on. They also make this (under the same name, even) at Jacmel Inn in Hammond. 4. Insalata Portofino, Andrea's. Andrea's antipasto table is one of the best parts of the restaurant, and this gigantic salad is a bed of greens topped with seafood done in the antipasto style. Which is to say poached and marinated, then chilled. Crabmeat, mussels, clams, calamari, fish, and sometimes a few other things appear, all in a light vinaigrette. 5. Mediterranean Salad, Drago's. This is simple enough: baby greens topped with a fantastic amount of white (not lump, but good enough) crabmeat. all tossed in a lemon vinaigrette dressing. It reminds me a little of the crabmeat salad at Mosca's, but with vastly more crabmeat. It's a great fast-lunch dish: they whip it out in minutes, and it's so good you just plow through it. 6. Tomato and Onion Salad, Dickie Brennan's Steakhouse. One of Dickie Brennan's more interesting discoveries is that blue cheese and remoulade sauce taste good together. That's what goes over this pile of thick tomato slices and thin slices of sweet onions. Only problem with this is that it's too filling for its original design as a side salad, but add some boiled shrimp to it and you have a good light repast. 7. Greek salad, Maple Street Cafe. They serve this in a bread bowl, but that's not what makes it good. The greens are fresh, the feta cheese is generous, and the dressing delicious. 8. Asian seared tuna salad, Zea. This is a terrific thatch of tuna sticks (there's no other name for them) encrusted with sesame and seared, left rare in the center, leaning against a stack of greens, sprouts, cold noodles, and a few other things, with a Thai-style peanut vinaigrette. One of the best dishes there. 9. Blackened Redfish Salad, Red Fish Grill. Just what it sounds like. The redfish is spicy and still warm, and served over a Caesar salad. 10. Grilled shrimp Caesar salad, Cafe Reconcile. This is a superb combination of warm and cool, spicy and mellow. © 2006 Tom Fitzmorris. All rights reserved. news@nomenu.com