By Ann Lemons
Photograph by Katherine Bish
Chicken salad is making a valiant and fairly successful attempt to escape its “ladies luncheon” image. The old-fashioned, drugstore-style chicken salad was, of course, incredibly bland, to the point of curing insomnia better than chloral hydrate. It has come a long way since then. Like the famous little black dress, chicken salad can be done up in a hundred ways. My personal preference is for a chicken salad not full of mayo and celery. One of my favorites includes green beans and is seasoned with oregano. Commercial chicken salads are heading in all sorts of directions. Almost every spot I visited had several on hand, as indicated at the end of each review. Every salad featured large chunks of white meat. In fact, the chunks were so large that the only sandwich they could inhabit would be a hollowed-out baguette or a very sturdy pita pocket. Note: A green salad with grilled or fried chicken plopped on top is not a chicken salad. Don’t be confused, as Steve Mizerany always warned us.
Carolyn’s A Matter of Taste
9781 Clayton
314-991-5324
The low-fat tarragon chicken salad was slightly sweet, with red grapes and moist raisins. It sported a creamy dressing and had a surprisingly good texture for a low-fat salad. Four chicken salad varieties on hand.
Gourmet to Go
7807 Clayton, 9828 Clayton
314-727-2442, 314-993-5442
This classic chicken salad had big chunks of celery and a rich, smooth dressing that tasted like more celery. This is what people used to mean when they thought of chicken salad. One variety.
Truffes Inc.
407 Jackson
314-862-1618
The pineapple chicken salad with honey mustard had a creamy dressing and was quite wet. It did not have much mustard taste, but there was a noticeable taste of pineapple mixed with small chunks of pineapple, a little celery and some sliced almonds. Three or more varieties.
Whole Foods Market
1601 S. Brentwood
314-968-7744
The Mediterranean chicken salad, aside from some tasteless black olives, had big flavor. The chicken was grilled and slightly spicy, and the salad included roasted red peppers, feta and red onions in a light vinegar and oil dressing. Six varieties.
Wild Oats Natural Marketplace
8823 Ladue
314-721-8004
The Southwestern grilled chicken salad had lots of colorful vegetables, including corn, grape tomatoes, zucchini and leeks. The vinegar and oil dressing was seasoned with cumin, adding up to another generously flavored salad. Three varieties.
