A new favourite?

After my rant regarding the disappearance of my beloved Pollo Verdure salad from the Pizza Express menu, I have found a possible new favourite. Having being forced to lunch at the pizza chain one Saturday afternoon (due to circumstances out of my control), I was obliged to choose a new dish to try.

I went for the Padana pizza. Usually, I wouldn't go for pizza as they are far too big for me. However, I was taken by the goats' cheese and red and caramelised onion topping on offer. Unsurprisingly, due to my obsession with cheese and onion, it was absolutely delicious. The sweet golden onion chutney contrasts beautifully with the subtle sharpness of the cheese (I'm drooling just thinking about it).

I will admit, if given the choice I would opt for the Pool Verdure in a heartbeat. However, the Padana is now a front runner for dish of choice on my next visit to my favourite pizza restaurant.

NB. The Padana pizza is now in the Pizza Express range available in supermarkets. I know what I'm having for lunch this weekend.

The Pollo Verdure lives on

I challenge you to find me one person who does not love Pizza Express. It has it all: delicious menu, excellent service, and bargain price. That is, until now. Apparently, the restaurant chain has undergone a series of 'subtle' changes to make their customers' experiences just that little bit better. Unfortunately for me, these changes are not so subtle. They have drastically altered their menu, resulting in the conspicuous absence of my favourite dish: the Pollo Verdure salad.

Prior to these changes, my typical Pizza Express experience was a repetitive but beautiful affair. I would know exactly what I was going to order, long before the waiter had placed the menu in my hands. Some may say that I am boring, and should explore the other amazing dishes on offer. However, as the old saying goes, why fix something that isn't broken? Why order a different dish when I know I would enjoy the Pollo Verdure more?

And now, with my dish no longer available, what's a girl to do? The answer is simple: I am going to make my own Pollo Verdure salad. After Googling the recipe to ensure I replicate the dish as closely as possible, I can now enjoy the wonders of those roasted Mediterranean vegetables, crisp rocket and spinach, tender chicken pieces and zingy dressings at home.

I will, no doubt, still venture to Pizza Express on the odd occasion. The dough balls are legendary, and I have yet to find a chocolate fudge cake that is as divine as theirs. But so long as the Pollo Verdure salad remains off the menu, I will be unable to sing the Pizza Express praises like I once did.