Try these special salads

SOMETIMES A SALAD IS A LOT MORE than just a little lettuce and dressing. Beyond being just a simple starter or side, some salads, tossed and composed with all sorts of special ingredients, can make a meal.

DECATUR

Watershed

Chef Scott Peacock’s place is a converted gas station in Decatur that features lots of local and seasonal farm offerings. His farm-style chicken salad (served at lunch) is composed of a variety of fresh nibbles. A layer of lettuce and herbs gets topped with perfectly poached chunks of chicken breast, bathed in homemade mayo, and surrounded by sliced hard-boiled egg, crispy radishes, French green beans, cucumbers, and a celery stick filled with pimento cheese. $13.

406 West Ponce De Leon Ave., Decatur. 404-378-4900. www.watershedrestaurant.com

ALPHARETTA

5 Seasons Brewing

The retro wedge salad is a steakhouse stalwart that finds a special place at 5 Seasons Brewing in Alpharetta. Chef David Larkworthy’s take is a big, crunchy hunk of iceberg lettuce topped with gooey Danish blue cheese dressing, spicy pecans, Bermuda onions and diced tomatoes. Get it with the nutty, house-baked, spent grain beer bread with fleur de sel butter. Or have it as a decadent starter for filet au poivre and pommes frites. $7.

5 Seasons North, 3655 Old Milton Parkway, Alpharetta, 770-521-5551 www.5seasonsbrewing.com

DOWNTOWN

French American Brasserie

The sprawling downtown replacement for Buckhead’s more intimate Brasserie Le Coze serves up classic dishes from skate wings to profiteroles. But one of the tastiest offerings here is the FAB salad —- a bright mix of veggies, including asparagus, radishes, tomatoes, saffron-spiced boiled potatoes, and haricot verts, with field greens, shaved fennel, and herb vinaigrette. It comes plated with crispy olive tapenade croutes, making it near perfect for a light lunch. $12.

30 Ivan Allen Jr. Blvd., Atlanta, 404-266-1440. www.fabatlanta.com

ALPHARETTA

Tossed

The first Tossed opened nearly a decade ago in Manhattan. Since then, none other than Martha Stewart has declared herself a fan of these quick-service salad spots, like the one in Alpharetta. The Tossed version of the classic Cobb salad mixes baby field greens, hearts of romaine, roasted chicken, grape tomatoes, avocado, smoked bacon, roasted onions and crumbled blue cheese, with blue cheese dressing. $8.95.

5530 Windward Parkway #1070, Alpharetta, 678-339-1313. www.Tossed.com