Where are the Kidney Beans???

European salads are quite different than what the typical American would picture. Salad is basically an all encompassing word for chopped fresh vegetables.

Lettuce = salad (in fact in some places it is synonymous)
Grated carrot on a plate = salad
Cold potatoes = salad
Pickled cabbage = salad
Sliced cucumbers = salad

You get the picture - salad doesn't necessarily mean mixed anything.

To find a salad cart (salad bar) is an absolute anomaly - unless you're at The Harvester, a British chain restaurant similar to O'Charleys only not really. By the way - they also just introduced the only free refill soft drinks I've heard of - it's a pretty sweet set up actually.

Tonight, several of us headed to The Harvester to celebrate a friends birthday. Once we ordered, we went to the salad cart greatly anticipating the pleasure of building a salad. As I started perusing the choices two thoughts popped into my mind:

1. Why is the lettuce the next to last thing available?
2. Where are the kidney beans??? It's not a salad without the kidney beans.

As I voiced my concerns to my friend, all I could think was "Wow, I've been here too long. Who really gets disappointed when a salad bar doesn't have kidney beans? In America I wouldn't even expect them!"

Oh well, after a strange look from my (American) friend - she too has adapted - I piled cold whole kernel corn on top of my other salad to round out bowl and to stay as European as possible.