I’ve tried three of Juventino’s salads. The Bloominghill autumn salad with pickled carrots, apples and smoked pistachios is a refreshing balance of flavors from the fresh greens with the sour taste of the pickled carrots, acidity from the sliced apples and the smooth smokiness of the pistachios. What a way to kick start a meal. The grass-fed beef and squash salad with tomatillo-yogurt dressing is light, despite the layers of sliced beef, again because of the freshness of the ingredients. The beef melts in your mouth while the squash salad cleanses your palate between each bite of meat. The slow-braised beets with herbs and toasted walnuts (image above) can be ordered as a side or salad. I love Chef Avila’s use of tarragon to complement the sweet, rich flavor of the red beets, rounding the dish off with a little rootiness with the walnuts.

NOTE: This is an example of a seasonal dish