4 minute post and The Perfect Salad

Four minutes left at work and I just thought that downtime at the law firm would be perfect blogging time! So, more to follow in the coming days/weeks.
I am excited to announce that I devoured the best salad of my entire life eight days ago. Said salad was eaten at a new restaurant on King Street (in Charleston) called Closed for Business. I do not like the name of this restaurant, it sounds like it is trying too hard to be 'hip' and 'trendy'. I had reservations, especially because REV restaurant group opened Closed for Business in the same building where an amazing Spanish Tapas bar called Raval used to reside (also owned by the people at REV foods). Would this new place be able to fill the shoes of its predecessor? The first thing I noticed upon entering the restaurant was that the entire waitstaff was sporting varieties of flannel. This made me happy. Flannel has a certain influence on me and makes me want to hug whoever is wearing it. However, this time I had to resist the temptation as our waitress (who, although it was her first night, was great) greeted us at the table and presented the menus. I settled down at a long unfinished wood table near the door and opened up the concise menu. Doubt settled in as I scanned the list of food offerings and had to eliminate 99% of the meaty dishes (burgers, pork rinds, etc.). I asked if the potato skins appetizer could be made without the bacon, yes, okay give me an order of those. My stomach told me that potato skins would not suffice. I looked down to the salad section of the menu and, because of the featuring steak and chicken, had to mentally crossed off all of them but one. My last option was a gamble, the "Seasonal Salad". Our waitress verified that this salad was indeed vegetarian and was made with all local ingredients, hoorah! I will have one, please. The potato skins were good, but this post is not called The Perfect Potato Skins for a reason.
When my salad arrived in a big wooden bowl my eyes started to dance as I gazed upon the large technicolor leaves of lettuce, the radish slices boasting a sunburst center, and the freshly made cheese slices layered on top of each other in a pile at the center of the bowl. I plunged my fork into the vegetables and stuffed the leafy mixture into my mouth. I have never tasted lettuce so full of flavor, so complex and delicious as this. Each bite had a tiny hint of bitterness (from the earthy lettuce) followed by the sweet crunch of the radish, the tangy pungency of the cheese and was finished with a light coating of a mild vinaigrette that brought all of the flavors together. The composition that made up the salad was limited but what they say is true: the best food is the simplest food if you use the highest quality of ingredients.
Ironic that a restaurant that has only one vegetarian option on the menu filled me with one of the best meals I have ever had (and certainly the best salad I have ever eaten).
A few days later I was at Harris Teeter and picked up a bag of the pre-washed, ready-to-eat salad concoctions. I looked at the small, limp, and browning iceberg lettuce and felt sad and cheated that this is what the big food industries offer the public. I looked around me and tried to imagine our grocery stores stocked with fruits and vegetables that were bursting with color and vitality instead of the almost dead looking options that I was surrounded with. It was a nice thought...support your local farmers.