SECRET DINER

By Bill Roseberry

Farm-to-table feel

Picking a healthy option for a place to eat isn’t always a bad thing and this salad and sandwich shop in central Madison County is a good choice.

I recently visited for lunch and had some trouble finding the small place. It’s a little inconspicuous, even though it’s right along a side road in town in front of a residential area. On further inspection the name is written in cursive on the large picture window on the front of the building, as well as in raised gold lettering above the black and white striped awning.

It’s a very homey, farmto-table feel here. The warm, light colors make for an inviting and relaxing atmosphere. Behind the counter in the front of the establishment you’ll find big menu boards hanging on the walls. Drinks are available in coolers and there is even a small line of beers and seltzers available.

The pricing is a little high for what it is, but you get a lot of food with your order. I even had some to go on my visit.

My order consisted of hummus and pita chips as an appetizer and a large buffalo chicken salad for the main course.

Starting with the hummus, it was so creamy and earthy in flavor, not overloaded

with garlic flavor like I feel I get sometimes with hummus. It was really good and I had a decent amount left to take with me for another snack due to the size of the order. It’s easily a shareable plate.

As for the salad, the first thing I noticed was the slight kick to it. The buffalo flavor really stood out. The chicken was super tender and complemented nicely by the bleu cheese and corn mixed in. The corn, cheese and buffalo sauce drove the taste. There are a ton of other salad choices here too, including a hummus salad, barbecue chicken, cobb, Greek, mandarin orange and Caesar to name a few.

You can also build your own salad with a slew of healthy choices. Toppings include goodies like apples, chickpeas, beets, strawberries and blueberries, among more

traditional options.

If salads aren’t your bag, grab a grilled chicken pita, a buffalo pita or a grilled cheese sandwich. Hours are short, so check before you visit. It’s open from 11am to 7pm MondayFriday and 8am to 1pm on Saturday. They are closed on Sunday.