Spring Salads: Top 5

May is National Salad Month, timed to correspond with the start of the growing season here in Minnesota. And we love salads of every order--beet salad, potato salad, papaya salad, and pasta salad...even lime Jell-O salad with cottage cheese and pineapple. Despite their germ-host potential, we even love salad bars, though only if they're at least in the ballpark of the one at Fogo de Chão, with its giant wheels of Parmesan, forests of asparagus stalks, and glossy sheets of smoked salmon. Here are five spring salad favorites:

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5. Barbette's Niçoise Salad
At one point in life, we managed to acquire a recipe for Barbette's version of Nice's famous salad, but we never ended up making the thing. That's because the Nicoise has so many ingredients--ahi tuna, purple potatoes, haricots verts, hard boiled egg, anchovies, etc., etc.--that it was just easier to go to the restaurant. It's also a healthful way to balance out the inevitable bowl of pommes frites you'll order.

Jana Freiband

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4. Il Gatto's Insalata Rucola
We already raved about this one in 100 Favorite Dishes, but it's worth another mention: the salad is just that good. After knocking back a few during Il Gatto's killer happy hour, you're going to need something solid to soften the blow, and we'd recommend the Insalata Rucola for its balance of peppery arugula, cherry tomatoes, prosciutto, grana padano cheese--and a couple of bread sticks.