Macchiato Espresso Bar 11-1-2011

Location: 666 5th Ave.

Time: 12pm

Feelings: Thankfully I had a relatively easy pregnancy, but post pregnancy has been quite a difficult one, even 16 months later. I was diagnosed with severe vitamin deficiency, which left me rather lifeless and one less tooth. Before this experience, you would have never seen me eat salad for lunch, but I have been doing nothing but this past month. I ate more spinach than Popeye had in his entire life time. I have been gradually feeling better thanks to all these leafy greens, but I still don't grasp the concept of salad as a meal. I have tried countless salad places in midtown now-- Chop't, Europa, Cosi, Metro, Toastie's. I have tossed away so many of those plastic salad containers that my arugula-shaped green footprint is quite large.

I doubt I would miss any of these salads in the future except one: Tuna salad from Macchiato Espresso Bar ($9). This salad is extremely filling with a giant scoop of tuna salad, romaine hearts, cherry tomato, hard boiled egg, red onion, black olive and roasted red pepper. The dressing is honey dijon, which creates an unexpected flavor combination of tuna salad and honey. The salad is made to order, and they use fresh ingredients without any sogginess. The bread that is served with salad is also fresh and soft.

This tuna salad is not the healthiest of all, but with a relaxed atmosphere of Macchiato Espresso Bar and fresh ingredients, I could almost get used to the idea of a big salad as a lunch option.