The Sip Advisor’s first real job was working in a grocery store deli department, so I have a great deal of experience with various salads. Of those, some I love and others I hate. Let’s start with the salads I’m happy to see served:

Greek Salad

I’m not opposed to doing things Greek and that includes their salad style. I thoroughly enjoy a Greek Salad as part of any platter served at a taverna. Ma Sip also makes a mean Greek Salad, as part of gatherings hosted at their estate. There’s something about the blend of tomatoes, cucumbers, olives and feta cheese – I typically remove the onion from my servings – that is so refreshing, along with a delicious dressing.

Caesar Salad

I’m a big fan of Caesar Salad. As I write this, I have a bagged one sitting in the fridge, just waiting to be blended and devoured. How much do I love Caesar Salad? I will sometimes opt for it as a side over fries. Yeah, my devotion is that serious. I have also been known to make up a family sized bag of the salad and eat it all to myself. The only time a Caesar Salad is bad is when kale is used instead of lettuce. Did you know we have Tijuana, Mexico, to thank for this dish?

Macaroni/Noodle/Pasta Salad

I don’t care what you call it, just serve it up! This preferred side of B-B-Q events pairs well with so many main dishes. One of my favourite versions of the salad is the one offered by KFC restaurant locations, which works quite harmoniously with fried chicken. Apparently, there’s something called a Garbage Plate, where you load up a platter with everything typically found at a barbecue, including macaroni salad, fries, hotdog/hamburger meat and various condiments.

Some honourable mentions go to Coleslaw, Potato Salad, Goma-ae and Chinese Chicken Salad. On the flip side, here are some salads I hate:

Ambrosia Salad

I’m not one to take my dessert in salad form. Ambrosia Salad is composed of various fruits (pineapple, oranges, Maraschino cherries), along with marshmallows and coconut, and a dairy component of either whipped cream, sour cream, cream cheese or yogurt. That’s the ingredient that particularly sets me off. Ambrosia is based on mythical food eaten by the Greek gods, which was said to give them immortality. It was also purported to be served by doves, which has to be some sort of food safety violation.

Chef Salad/Cobb Salad

I feel these two salads are very similar, consisting of meats, veggies and cheeses all in one complete meal. What turns me off with these salads is the hard-boiled eggs ingredient, as well as the cheese they incorporate. The Cobb Salad, in particular, commits a massive foul with its blue cheese addition. While I won’t be sitting down to these dishes anytime soon, I do appreciate the history behind each, with both salads thought to have been invented at some of the most infamous hotels and restaurants in the U.S.

Bean Salad

Beans, beans, the musical fruit. The more you eat, the more you… let’s keep things civil here. Seriously, who wants to eat a dish comprised of bean after bean after bean. Not even a decent dressing/vinaigrette can save this abomination. Now, if we’re talking about a jelly bean salad, you may be onto something and have my attention. Wait, did I just create that!? Anyhoo, I’ll take a hard pass, regardless of whether it’s a three-bean, four-bean or infinity-bean conglomeration.

Love & Hate: Salad in a Glass

• 1.5 oz Vodka
• 0.75 oz Ginger Liqueur
• Top with Ginger Beer and Club Soda
• Splash of Lime Juice
• Dash of Simple Syrup
• Garnish with Basil Leaves

I must take this opportunity to remind Ma Sip that she is to make Snickers Salad – Snickers bars, green apples, whipped topping, marshmallows, pudding – at some point. There’s also something called Cookie Salad – vanilla pudding, whipped cream, mandarin oranges, fudge stripe shortbread cookies – that deserves further research. Get on it Ma!