Whether you are a faithful follower of the Cubist movement, a lover of veggie plates with a little meat on their bones or just a fan of leafy greens, Oregano's Pizza Bistro has a meal for you, according to participants in our latest Food Fight.
The Arizona chain, in town at 4900 E. Speedway, narrowly edged out Chopped as the best Tucson restaurant to score a decent salad.
Many Food Fighters considered Oregano's Pablo Picasso Mexico Salad a work of art. The restaurant's menu describes it as "a masterful blend of grilled fajita chicken, romaine lettuce, cheddar cheese, fresh cilantro, tomatoes and onions, drizzled with a slightly spicy chipotle dressing and mixed with corn strips."
"It's a decent-sized salad, with lots of flavor," said Kimberly Ryan, 23. "The dressing is delicious, and the tortilla strips add amazing texture."
People are also reading…
Others, like AJ Hughes, director of sales for NetMedia, go for Oregano's Beefstro Salad, a mix of shaved rib-eye, jalapeños, white cheese, tomatoes, spinach, romaine lettuce, sweet onions and serrano dressing.
"There is such an amazing array of flavors with the Beefstro Salad," said Hughes, 38. "It is sweet and spicy at the same time. Once you start, it is hard to put your fork down."
Gabrial Inocencio, 33, seemed more interested in size over flavor, adding, "Their salads are entire meals in themselves, over-filling and fairly priced."
Viva variety
A diverse selection of Tucson restaurants popped up during our most recent Food Fight.
Among the choices was the Red Sky Cafe located at 2900 N. Swan Road, just south and across the street from McMahon's Prime Steakhouse.
"I'm a vegetarian and I really appreciate places that cater to us," said Aspen Green, 55, a clinic director. "I am tired of iceberg lettuce. The Red Sky makes a salad look like artwork and taste fabulous. They are very creative with great food."
Kim Jackson, a stay-at-home mom, couldn't get enough of the salad options at Grill, 100 E. Congress St.
"The dinner salad is consistently fresh with dark leaves and dark red tomatoes," Jackson said. "The Grill has a great amount of comfort, diner food presented in a gourmet style. The salad complements their eclectic menu."
Sarah Van Osten turned over a new leaf when she started eating salads at the Fox Concepts restaurant chain Sauce. Her favorite is the option with turkey, salami, prosciutto, red onion, tomato and Parmesan cheese.
"It is the first one that I consistently order as my meal," said the 33-year-old business manager. "It is the only thing I order there. I really like the atmosphere and I'm a fan of the 'fast casual' order at the counter."
And Debbie Torre, 39, is a major fan of the Grilled Caribbean salad at Chili's. "It is really refreshing. It has mandarin oranges, which makes it a little sweet. It almost feels like I'm cheating on my diet."
Other contenders
• Delectables, 533 N. Fourth Ave.
• Vila Thai Cuisine, 972 E. University Blvd.
• Dakota Cafe, 6541 E. Tanque Verde Road.
• Firkin and Friar, 6958 E. Tanque Verde Road.
• The Cottage Bakery and Cafe, 800 N. Kolb Road
• The Garland Bistro, 119 E. Speedway.
• Elle Wine Country Restaurant, 3048 E. Broadway.
• Grimaldi's Pizzeria, 446 N. Campbell Ave.
• Caruso's Restaurant, 434 N. Fourth Ave.
• Stadium Grill, 3682 W. Orange Grove Road.
• The Cup Cafe, 311 E. Congress St.
