Not long ago the neighbs pointed out to me that I don't have favorite restaurants. I have favorite dishes that one has to go to certain restaurants to get, and my taste in restaurants follows from this "if it ain't broke don't fix it, I'll have the usual" ordering strategy. Although nothing I have ever ordered at Martini's has disappointed me and, yes, I enjoy the atmosphere there and, yes, it was very convenient walking distance from my last several apartments, this salad deserves its own entry in the ever-increasingly ill-named Kalamazoo countdown to my departure.
I love a good antipasto salad and this one is the best I have ever tasted. It's not like at some places where you get lettuce lettuce lettuce, lump of red onion over here, lump of tomatoes over there, rolled up cold cuts on top of here, a couple olives and a token banana pepper. At Martini's, there's no assembly required. It's all jumbled together and tossed in a vinaigrette that is just vinegary enough, just oily enough and just herby enough.
They don't chintz out on the lettuce. It always has enough of its own flavor and it's chopped down to about the same size as everything else so you can get everything in every bite. Same goes for tomatoes, cucumbers, meats, cheeses, black olives and banana pepper rings. They make it on the spot in a big stainless bowl and serve it with a healthy hunk of crusty bread. Order one right now and you can pick it up in ten minutes.
I have tried, dear reader, to replicate results on my own. I've used the same ingredients and even come close to the dressing, but my efforts still somehow pale in comparison. For now, my quest for the consummate antipasto salad of my new home town continues.
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