Composed salad sightings around town

I very much enjoyed the article about composed salads [“Salad, Compose Thyself,” Sept. 21].

I have not been familiar with the term, but it’s something I pretty much do myself from time to time. I agree, it’s the best of lunches.

The only salad preparation comparable to this would perhaps be a really fine salad buffet where one can build one’s own composee. These buffets do, however, lack a certain piquance of flavor and aura of restraint.

At any rate, I’m off to the produce department for my fix for the day. Thank you so very much.

JOAN PETERSON

Culver City

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CLEO & CUCCI at the Glendale Galleria has the best composed salads.

They have a wonderful chickpea, lentil, chicken, wild rice and various pasta salad.

TARA DOLAN

Huntington Beach

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ALTHOUGH it’s not listed on the menu as a salad, the “Real Food Meal” at Real Food Daily in Santa Monica and West Hollywood is essentially a composed salad.

It consists of short-grain brown rice, beans, greens, land and sea vegetables, pressed cabbage salad and radish pickle with a dressing or sauce.

JOEL CASTELLAW

San Diego

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I have the perfect restaurant for a composed salad: Matterhorn Chef in Van Nuys.

Ueli Huegli fixes many different salads every day for his Lazy Susan, which appears on the table even before you order.

It holds various salads: carrot, cucumber, white bean, beet, radish and potato, and it would be no trouble to serve it with lettuce.

LILO HOLZER

Glendale

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YOUR Sept. 21 edition of the Food section was the most informative I’ve read in months.

In 20 minutes, I planned dinner (composed salad with tuna and cannellini beans), decided on a birthday present for my husband (a weekend in Santa Ynez and a copy of “Don’t Try This at Home”), and determined that I should give Merlots another chance.

My only disappointment is that I do not have the “suburban bling” or decolletage to dine at Bluefin in Newport Coast.

HARRIET J. OTTAVIANO

Seal Beach