Tender Greens- and a Point Loma visit

 mmm-yoso!!! It's a food blog.  Kirk is having internet problems, ed(from Yuma) is busy with coursework starting, so today, it's Cathy blogging.

Hi again.  It was yet another day of walking for The Mister and I, this time with a glorious view of San Diego with the Bay, the Navy Submarine base and Naval Air Station Coronado...

 

 

All a magnificent view from Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery. A very serene, cool walk on one of the days when the temperatures in East County were almost unbearable. 

As we drove down the hill, The Mister and I were thinking of what we wanted for dinner.  The idea of going home to cook was daunting and since we were in the area, we decided to stop at Tender Greens.
The unassuming exterior belies the wonderful meals to be found inside. I have posted about Tender Greens on one occasion and mentioned another visit in the middle of one post.
The menu is right above where you order... 

 
You'll give your name and walk along a glassed kitchen prep area, seeing all the ingredients and watching your order being assembled...
The in House made charcuterie, fresh figs...
roasted vegetables,
The various proteins offered. At the end of the walk is the cash register where you can also order a desert and get your beverages and your order, all presented on a jelly roll pan which is your tray...you find a seat and can enjoy your meal.
We decided to share a bowl of rustic chicken soup ($4) Mostly dark chicken meat (the flavorful stuff) and a myriad of vegetables- the bowl was packed with potato, squash, carrot, onion, fresh herbs- lemon thyme is so complimentary.  Always a good bowl of soup.

The Mister decided to try the Craft salad ($10.50), there were six slices of the house made salumi, Feta cheese, roasted peppers, olives, pickled onions, pickles, capers mixed in the 'young lettuce all erfectly mixed with the right amount of Cabernet vinaigrette.   

 
I decided to try the 'Happy Vegan" this time.($10.50)  What a wonderful choice!  The greens were topped with a lemon vinaigrette and the scoops of salads, each with its own flavor, were individually wonderful- From the right- A farro/spelt/wheat grain mixed with dried cranberries and hazelnuts tasted rich and had a nice 'tooth'. The green hummus was fresh and had an underlying green onion flavor. The third is mostly red quinoa (you can see the quinoa 'tails' in the photo) mixed with cucumber and yellow beets and tasted creamy.  The tabbouleh all the way on the left was a wonderful bulghur and had peppermint as it's green, making it sweet (to me).

The combination of vegan tastes was perfect and the overall salad was filling and refreshing, not at all what I expected vegan food to be.  I want to try other vegan meals now.

Tender Greens  2400 Historic Decatur Road, inside the old Naval Training Center/Liberty Station San Diego 92106  (619) 226-6254 Website

Comments

[Ish]

Ooo, the grilled veggie salad at Tender Greens is fantastic. I haven't been in ages, but I used to go almost weekly with my work group when I worked near by. It looks a bit high end/veg, but we had a pretty wide variety of eaters in the group and everyone really liked it.

[Cathy]

Hi Ish! The last three times I got the Grilled Veggie Salad and have tried the entire menu in one way or another here. The vegan selection was just waiting for me and now is another new favorite.

[Loren]

I absolutely love this place; i'm on a high protein/veggies very low carb diet and this place is perfect. I've never had a bad salad there and, for the non vegetarian & vegans, the chipotle chicken and steak are incredible. Personal favorite I love the spinach salad but I'm a spinach nut anyway

[caninecologne]

hi cathy - i like the flank steak here! it's been awhile since my last visit - i think i want to try that vegan sampler plate you had. i've never had farro and spelt before so now i'm curious.

[Dennis]

Hi Cathy! Really enjoy Tender Greens. That 'Happy Vegan' option looks super good! I just may try that next time I'm there.

[ed (from Yuma)]

That food looks so healthy and yummy. I want some of that salumi.

[Cathy]

Loren! Add in the daily walks, and we are having the same way of living. I've never had an overdressed salad here, either...first time we came here was for a lunch- and we drove back that same night for dinner!
We've had the "Backyard Steak" here also, cc- an excellent choice. Farro is the Italian word for spelt, which is wheat...Farro seems to be "the" new menu item in places lately.
Hi Dennis. The vegan is yet another excellent choice here.
Oh ed, the food here is various combinations of salads, sandwiches and plates. They've had the house made salumis for a while and I do crave the charcuterie platter as a snack...

[Ed (from Yuma)]

OK, OK, it took Tina and I nearly two years after this great post to get to Tender Greens. But hotdam it's good. Wonderful lunch salads. The Nicoise was great, from the seared albacore to the roasted potato wedges to the wonderful tender greens. And crispy green beans, good olives, capers. And the daily special salad had huge chunks (thick squares??)of Italian bacon, apricot slices, micro-greens, lettuces, candied walnuts, almonds. OMG good. You always kept saying how wonderful this place is, but it was even better.

[Cathy]

*So* happy you finally did make it here, Ed. Fresh and fresher and somehow perfect... Honestly, this is the only place ever that I went back to for a second meal on the same day as the first ever visit.