Salad bliss at Stella’s

I was about to catch a ride home on the “T,” (Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s train) but turned around. I was already in Boston’s South End and hadn’t explored Washington Street. I sought a place for lunch on July 4 and walked. First I walked north (maybe) on Washington (I am really bad if with compass directions). But after trapsing for 20 minutes and not finding much of anything appealing, I reversed course on Washington. I’m glad I did because I came upon Stella Cafe, which serves sandwiches and salads, and has a display case that houses homemade muffin tops and brownies. The sun was out, peeking through patchy clouds, with a moderate breeze. The air felt dry, with a mild warmth. My body said a cool, refreshing salad that spoke of summer was in order. You can customize your salad at Stella’s and the first three veggies are free. Choose from among romaine, mixed greens or spinach and you’re on your way. Proteins are $1.50 and each additional veggie after the first three is $.50. For a salad it’s a bargain. I went with spinach then added pine nuts, chickpeas, chunks of honeydew, cucumber slices and black olives. A limoncello vinaigrette caught my eye (how often do you see that dressing on a menu?) I took a chair outside and tasted. The first few bites were without the dressing, then I lightly poured the vinaigrette. The dressing was very light (couldn’t pick up a strong lemon flavor), but that left room for the other ingredients to shine. The sweet honeydew contrasted with the mild saltiness of the olives. The clean crunch from the cucumber slices and the tender texture of chickpeas was a delight. This was a great salad that satisfied the longing for something cool. And I had leftovers to go with the following night’s dinner.

Stella

1525 Washington St.

Boston, MA 02118

Phone (617) 247-7747; Fax: (617) 247-8747