Salad Love

It is a fact well-known by many people (especially my coworkers) that last year I fell in love. It was unexpected, but I couldn't help myself. After the first rendevous, I was hooked. Soon, the whole world knew about my love affair, since I flaunted it openly - and practically daily.

I'm speaking, of course, of the Fuji Apple Chicken Salad from Panera.

It was divine, blissful even. For someone who only decided in the past few years to start eating salad, I never thought I would find one I loved quite so much. But crisp field greens, crunchy pecans, tangy gorganzola cheese, tender chicken, and candy-like dried apple slices combined for the most heavenly salad this world has ever seen.

And then, as quickly as our affair had begun, it was over. In a cold, calculated move aimed, I'm convinced, directly at me, Panera took the Fuji Apple Chicken Salad off the menu. Sometime last spring, it was just... gone. GONE.

All summer I basically rejected Panera. I had the occassional bowl of soup or panini, but inside I was harboring anger and bitterness. What right did they have to take my love away?!

Recently they added a new salad, the Orchard Harvest salad. At first I rejected Panera's attempt to woo me back with this offering. One day, desperate to feel something - anything - again, I caved. I was presented with a bowl full of lettuce, pecans, gorgonzola cheese... this was looking familiar. Sure, the apple and chicken had been replaced with dried cherries and fresh cut pear, but there was enough similarities to pique my interest.

Orchard Harvest Salad

My relationship with Orchard Harvest wasn't the whirlwind I'd had with Fuji. I think that kind of love happens once in a lifetime - if you're lucky. But Orchard Harvest and I built something, slowly, over time. These past few weeks I've found myself at Panera again and again, always for the salad with a side of Baked Potato soup. Our relationship based on trust and committment. Me & Orchard Harvest - we're good together. And I'm in this for the long haul.

Unless they bring back Fuji later this fall. In which case... sorry Orchard Harvest. But you can't fight your first love.