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Best Spring Salads In Los Angeles

Greens Up sonoma-coast1
(credit: Greens Up)

Spring is in the air and definitely on the plates in Los Angeles restaurants. The abundant leafy greens and colorful fruits and veggies make spring the easiest season to eat healthy. Drizzle it with a light citrus dressing and you've got an amazingly delicious spring salad. Any ruffage lover knows it's next to impossible to make a bad salad and even the worst-case-scenario salad turns out to be average. But this is LA and average simply won't due even when it comes to salads. Check out these top five LA places for the best spring salads.

Heywood A Grilled Cheese Shoppe
(credit: Craig R./Yelp)

Heywood A Grilled Cheese Shoppe
3337 W. Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90026
(323) 667-1522
www.heywoodgrilledcheese.com

While grilled cheese may be its specialty, Heywood A Grilled Cheese Shoppe certainly knows what to pair it with. A fresh mix of slightly bitter and slightly sweet greens (along with a cup of house spiced tomato soup dipper) comes with any of the gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches. But if a salad is all you're looking for, you can have the same leafy greens in a simple spring mix salad with fresh tomatoes and a sprinkle of English cheddar cheese. The same mix comes in the Caprese with fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, avocado, roasted red peppers and light balsamic dressing.

four cafe CrunchyCabbage
(credit: Four Cafe)

Four Café
2122 Colorado Blvd.
Eagle Rock, CA 90041
(323) 550-1988

519 South Fairfax
Los Angeles CA 90036
(323) 272-3993
www.fourcafe.net

Is there such a thing as too big of a salad? This is a question you might ask yourself at Four Café. While they're labeled half and full, you might just view them as big and bigger. Four Café's spring salad lineup includes the barbecue chickpea, packed with romaine, arugula, green beans, red onions, goat cheese and avocado with a buttermilk dressing; and the grilled veggie Greek with mixed greens, baby spinach, zucchini, onions, tomatoes, olives and feta cheese with oregano vinaigrette. Don't forget the protein add-ons like tofu, chicken, steak and wild salmon and you'll have an appetite satisfier for sure.

Related: Best Vegetarian Burgers in LA

Fundamental LA
(credit: Fundamental LA)

fundamental LA
1303 Westwood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90024
(310) 444-7581
www.fundamental-la.com

With a section on the lunch menu titled "big salads," fundamental LA is definitely on the short list when looking for a spring salad. Enjoy a large aromatic mix of mesclun, daikon, pickled mushrooms, scallions and snap peas with buttermilk ginger dressing. Dinner has a different blend of market greens, herbs, sugar snap peas, potato and pickled red onion with apple cider vinaigrette. The menu is inspired by the seasons and is likely to vary based on produce availability. Reservations are recommended for this cozy and friendly neighborhood favorite.

Greens Up - Sawtelle Salad
(credit: Greens Up)

Greens Up! Salads
703 Montana Ave.
Santa Monica, CA 90403
(310) 394-1111
www.greensupsalads.com

Greens Up! Salads has brought fun back to dining out, letting you make your own salad. No, you can't go behind the counter and DIY, but you can pick and choose what you want to go in it. Choose your greens from spring mix, romaine, spinach, arugula, kale or all of the above. Add protein like chicken, tuna or bacon and throw on toppings like sunflower seeds, kidney beans and cucumber. Finally, add some "fruits/crunchies" like nuts, avocado, artichoke hearts and cranberries and you'll be eating for days. You've also got 10 different dressings to choose from.

say cheese
(credit: W.L./Yelp)

Say Cheese
2800 Hyperion Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90027
(323) 665-0545
www.saycheeselosangeles.com

If you love the flavors of a true "spring mix" salad, then Say Cheese Cafe has one for you. Simply titled "spring salad," it is comprised of select olives, Old Amsterdam gouda, shaved red onion, cucumber and sweet grape tomatoes on a bed of mesclun and balsamic vinaigrette. It's classic, simple and delicious. But if heading into Say Cheese Café specifically for a classic spring salad, you run the risk of getting "lost"; in the boutique. Say Cheese Café is one of those places where you go in for one thing and then happily find so much more. Be sure to check out the gourmet cheeses, wines, charcuterie and custom gift baskets.

Related: Best Noodle Houses in LA

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Kristine G. Bottone is a freelance writer living in Los Angeles. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.

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