Is McDonald's New Salad Racist?

Whomever added a bit of graffiti to this billboard -- perhaps questioning what makes a salad "Asian" -- sure does think so. (Billboard found at the corner of Fairfax and 6th.)

Rate-A-Restaurant #249: Mixt Greens

Restaurant: Mixt Greens

Location: 5757 Wilshire Blvd. (Miracle Mile)

Type of restaurant: Salads

We stipulated: Miracle Mile had been a vast lunchtime wasteland until the food trucks came along. Nonetheless, back when I worked at 5900 Wilshire, I welcomed the addition of Mixt Greens -- particularly because it replaced the dreadful O to Go.

They stipulated: "Mixt Greens was founded in San Francisco in 2005 and has since been voted San Francisco Chronicle's 'Best Healthy Lunch' in the San Francisco Bay Area, as well as being certified as a 'Bay Area Green Business', one of only five restaurants with this designation." Mixt Greens specializes in design-your-own salads, with an escalating price structure depending on what you order.



What we ordered: Design your own salad ($6.95): : choose your greens, 2 staples, 2 specialties & dressing. I chose mixed greens, along with chickpeas, edamame, soba noodles and marinated tofu. Plus a mango citrus vinaigrette.

High point: I enjoy the ability to create your own salad with such a wide array of staples and specialties.

Low point: When Mixt Greens first opened, they were generous with the fixings -- and would add more if you asked. Now, not so much. The portions appear to be smaller, and they're stingy with the extras.



Overall impression: Be careful -- your salad could get really expensive with all the add-ons. That's why I make sure to stick with the basics.

Chance we'll go back:  Now that my office has moved to Century City, it's less likely. And honestly, once the portions got smaller, I stopped going. (It didn't help that I started hitting the food trucks).

For a complete list of our nearly 250 restaurant reviews, check out Franklin Avenue's companion Rate-A-Restaurant site.

Rate-A-Restaurant #241: Lemonade

Restaurant: Lemonade

Location: 9001 Beverly Blvd. (West Hollywood)

Type of restaurant: Cafeteria-style lunch



We stipulated: My friend/colleague Joe had been raving about Lemonade for some time. He was in town, so I tagged along to finally check it out.



They stipulated:
"The modern twist on a nostalgic concept is part lemonade stand, part grade-school cafeteria - come lunchtime, you'll grab a tray and slide it down the counter to examine your options. Unlike those early years, though, you'll actually want to build a meal from what you see under the glass - you might find a Grilled Cheese with Ham and Quince on Pumpernickel, which could work with a Snap Pea and Edamame Salad and a Lemon Meringue Pie. With numerous vegetable options, salads, braises and stews, there is no shortage of options to choose from."



What we ordered: I split my order, allowing for smaller portions of a wide variety of salads: Watermelon/radish/ahi tuna/snap peas/sesame; Chicken/butternut squash/grapes/oregano; Chicken/jicama/tarragon/green goddess; Lobster/soba noodle/Lebanese couscous/sesame; Forbidden rice/hearts of palm/mushroom/green chili; Couscous/mushrooms/parmesan lemon truffle.

High point: The sheer variety of unique, tasty salads. And the flavored lemonades aren't bad either.

Low point: If you're not careful, Lemonade can get pricy. Make sure you split your salads and don't go overboard.



Overall impression: Pretty unique concept, and I love the simplicity of the cafeteria format. And with offerings constantly changing, there's always something new and interesting with Lemonade's salads and entrees. But again, it can get pricy if you're not careful, so it's not a spot you can frequent.



Chance we'll go back: I'm probably overdue another trip.