Union Street Bar and Grill

Andrew and I hit one of our favorite restaurants in Newton last night, after trekking over a mile and a half each way through snow and slush.

Once we made it into the warmth, I fortified myself with a Cherry Blossom - I can't remember all the ingredients but it had some sort of cherry-flavored vodka, black cherry puree, and Sprite.

Andrew went with a tall Sam Adams Winter Lager.

I ordered one of my favorite menu items - the Chicken and Fruit salad. It has chunks of grilled chicken breast, arugula, Mandarin oranges, strawberries, grapefruit, candied walnuts and citrus vinaigrette. With a side of Beer Battered Cajun Onion Rings, it was the perfect balance of healthy and salty/greasy (perfect for me, that is!)

Andrew got his favorite, the Chicken and Walnut Salad sandwich with a side of Waffle fries.

Tasty and Somewhat Healthy Lunch

Dole has a line of salad kits that come equipped with toppings and a dressing packet, all in one convenient bag. I grabbed the Autumn Splendor salad the other day on a whim and was pleasantly surprised by it at lunch today. It features romaine and “red leaf” lettuces, radicchio, a ton of shredded carrots, a garlic and herb seasoning packet, dried cranberries, glazed pumpkin seeds (yum!) and “Dole’s own pumpkin harvest vinaigrette.” I was a bit wary of the pumpkin dressing but it ended up being quite good. It didn’t taste much like pumpkin to me but it was a good complement to the rest of the ingredients. Coming in at 150 calories per serving (or 525 per bag), it wasn’t the healthiest salad but it made for a guilt-free lunch that I didn’t have to make myself this morning.