Welcome to A Solid Salad Review from Daps Magic. This will be a series of reviews of salads from around the Disneyland Resort and beyond. The team will be starting with the salads at quick service restaurants and then moving beyond. For the first solid salad review, the Taverne Chopped Salad from Red Rose Taverne was chosen. It was eaten on a 90 degree day at Disneyland, which was the inspiration for this series of reviews. The salad itself has chopped romaine lettuce with mixed greens, capocollo, rosemary ham, muenster cheese, olive tapenade along with a crouton crumble and creamy Italian dressing. Let’s get to the review!
First Impressions
Mr. Daps: This salad has a pleasant look to it. As I took a first look at it, I initially was worried it might be too small (it wasn’t). I took a look at mine and Angela’s and noticed that they didn’t look the same. It appeared that there might be the same ingredients but in different places and perhaps different proportions? However, what I saw also looked tasty. Part of me wondered if I needed a knife when I noticed that both meat and cheese were in long strips. The most important thing I noticed though was that all the ingredients looked fresh. There was no browning or wilting of any of the greens and nothing else looked old at all. Beyond my initial observations, I found the salad to look appetizing and I was excited to try it!
Angela: Right out of the gate, I was optimistic about the Taverne Chopped Salad. It was served in a plastic box with a clear lid, so I could see the presentation right away. The first things I noticed were the toppings, namely the strips of capocollo, rosemary ham, and muenster cheese, as well as a dusting of crouton crumbles and a scoop of olive tapenade on the side. I will say the strips of meat and cheese were added more for function than appearance and weren’t really spread out very evenly across the container. Of course, that’s nothing a little stir couldn’t fix. The strips being on the larger side was both a blessing and a curse, since they didn’t create the best first impression, but did make it obvious the salad had plenty going on. Everything looked fresh and not like it had been sitting in a cooler all day. Overall, I was pleased!
Freshness
Mr. Daps: I am VERY pleased to say that this Taverne Chopped Salad was very fresh. Nothing was wilted, and everything tasted like it was brand new. The greens were crisp and refreshing. The meat and cheese didn’t have a weird texture from sitting in the refrigerator for too long (which would have been majorly EW). It also smelled fresh, which was pleasant as I was eating.
Angela: The Taverne Chopped Salad gets top marks in my book for freshness. The lettuce was crisp and dark green. The meat and cheese were at full flavor. The dressing hadn’t separated. The box was free from telltale condensation that would suggest it had been around for a while. I had no complaints!
Toppings
Mr. Daps: Toppings can make or break a salad as much as the base can. In this case, there were several toppings on the salad and if they hadn’t worked, this salad would definitely have been a bust. Thankfully this wasn’t the case. It wasn’t just basic ham and cheese thrown on top of a salad. It seemed that the capocollo and rosemary ham were chosen intentionally to go with the muenster cheese. Together, they worked quite nicely with a bite of the salad that included the base. I thought everything balanced together fairly nicely and nothing overpowered the other things. This included the olive tapenade, the dressing, and the croutons. If I were to nit pick, I’d actually say that the croutons got lost and I think perhaps something different could have been done with them.
Angela: I am a fan of a good Italian-style salad, and this one delivered while not being boring. The capocollo and rosemary ham were a step above plain cold cuts in flavor, but still classic. The strips were generous, both in how many and how large they were. The muenster cheese was a stand-out to me in how its creaminess balanced the salty-savory flavors of the meat with the tanginess of the dressing.
The ratio of toppings to the base is always something I look for in a good salad. I like to have a mix of flavors in each bite, not just lettuce. By cutting the strips of meat and cheese into smaller pieces, there were plenty of toppings to go around.
Personally, olives always get a thumbs up from me, but I know not everyone feels this way. Because the olive tapenade was added in the corner of the container, it could be removed fairly easily if desired. For those who do like olives, this mix was a nice addition. It was a bit spicy, which was a nice contrast to the other elements. On the other hand, while the croutons didn’t detract from the dish, I also don’t think they added much. The crumbs that had been sprinkled on top disappeared after I mixed everything up. I actually forgot they were there until looking back at my original photo.
Dressing
Mr. Daps: I enjoyed the Italian dressing. It had a nice zip to it without being overpowering. I personally would have liked a bit more. However, my little cup of salad dressing wasn’t as full as Angela’s I noticed. Overall, though, this was a nice salad dressing that had a bit of personality to it without being too aggressive I thought.
Angela: Out of everything, the creamy Italian dressing was my least favorite element of the salad. This was because of personal preference more than it being bad. I don’t care for the flavor of strong balsamic vinegar. It’s a bit too sharp for me. Even though the dressing was advertised as Italian, it struck me as more of a balsamic vinaigrette. It appeared creamy, but the flavor was bolder than I expected. I also added it more liberally than I should have and it overpowered some of the other flavors.
Base
Mr. Daps:The base of the salad is the foundation of a salad. This can make or break everything. In this case, the base was fresh and tasted quite nice. It did remind me of the mixed greens you get in a bag at the store for making salads at home. It hadn’t really been cut so some of the bites ended up being a bit messy as there were some BIG pieces of lettuce (I think it was lettuce?). This would be fine if I had prepared and had a knife. Overall, however, I was content with what was offered and thankful for how fresh it was.
Angela: The base was a mix of romaine lettuce and mixed greens. It had a mild and balanced flavor that helped the toppings shine. Although this was advertised as being a ‘chopped’ salad, the pieces in my container were actually quite large. It’s only a small complaint, but I would have preferred the pieces of romaine to be cut up a bit finer. Obviously, this was easily solved with a knife and fork and it didn’t affect my overall impression. I was pleasantly surprised that there were few chunks of the romaine ribs, which can be bulky and not as flavorful.
Portion Size
Mr. Daps: The portion of this salad initially seemed to be on the small size. However, there was more than initially meets the eye included in this salad box. By the end of the meal, I was satisfied. It hit the spot and it was a nice light meal for a very warm day. If it had been a cooler day, I think I probably would have wanted something a bit more substantial. However, it’s great for lunch or a dinner that isn’t too heavy. If you are feeling very hungry, I’d suggest getting something as a side to share.
Angela: This salad came in what I’ve observed is the current “standard” container for quick service salads at the Disneyland Resort. It was a rectangular black plastic box with a raised clear lid. My portion of salad came up level with the top of the bottom half of the box. At first glance, this didn’t seem like a very large portion since lettuce tends to fluff up and seem larger than it is. However, I was impressed with how satisfied I felt after finishing. This is subjective, but I felt like it was just the right amount for what I wanted at dinnertime–satisfying without being too heavy, especially on a hot day. The protein from the meat and cheese also left me feeling full for the rest of the evening.
Price Value
Mr. Daps: This seemed like a decent value for what was paid. It isn’t the most expensive salad in the resort but it is a delicious one. I would have no qualms about getting it again.
Angela: Quick value salads at the Disneyland Resort currently range from about $8.50 to $29. At $10.99, the Taverne Chopped Salad is on the lower end of the scale. I thought it was an excellent value and I enjoyed it a lot! I would definitely get it again!
Overall Rating
Mr. Daps: A Hat Tip
Angela: A solid Hat Tip
Have you had the the Taverne Chopped Salad at Red Rose Taverne in Fantasyland at Disneyland? What did you think of it? Share your thoughts, opinions, and reviews in the comments below!
Mr. DAPs Hat Rating Scale
- No Hat – Didn’t meet expectations
- Hat Nod – It was ok
- Hat Tip – It was good
- Hat’s Off – Loved it!
