Ask an employee at Vinaigrette where the ingredients in your beautiful, colorful salad come from, and they'll have a pretty good idea. Most of the vegetables hail directly from the farm cultivated by Vinaigrette's owner Erin Wade, sprawling across 10 acres in Nambe (about 20 miles north of Santa Fe). She grows the produce organically and ships it straight to her restaurants, so that the veggies are served within hours of being plucked.

Locals can taste the difference in the high quality ingredients, particularly in the popular Nutty Pear-fessor salad. Like all of the entree salads on the list of signature dishes, it features a unique blend of sweet and savory ingredients: grilled Bosc pears, toasted pecans, bacon, and Maytag bleu cheese over a bed of greens, all tossed with ruby port vinaigrette. Try it topped with hibiscus duck confit. You can also opt for a more classic salad (think Greek or Caesar) or take a chance on one of the seasonally inspired salads, which are just as carefully prepared as the standard entrees.

Vinaigrette
1828 Central Avenue
Albuquerque, NM 87104
(505) 842-5507
www.vinaigretteonline.com
www.yelp.com/biz/vinaigrette-albuquerque-2

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr bogolyandras

Happy Father's Day! We hope all of the Dads out there have a great day with loved ones! Let us know how you plan to help Dad relax today!

Even if you don’t plan on bulking up or competing in weight lifting competitions any time soon, strength training is a crucial part of any exercise regimen. Here are three great reasons to incorporate weight training into your workouts.

1. It promotes strong bones. Weakening bones is a concern that all people have to face as they age. The stress that strength training puts on your bones increases their density and prevents osteoporosis, keeping you strong and healthy as years pass.
2. It helps to control your weight. While you might relate weight loss with intense cardiovascular workouts, strength training is just as important if you want to lose weight. Gaining muscle increases your metabolism and causes your body to burn calories more efficiently.
3. It gives you more energy. Like all workouts, strength training increases your stamina and helps you to stay alert and focused. After a few weeks of regular weight lifting or body weight exercises, you’ll notice that you feel more energized throughout the day. Some scientific studies even show that years of regular strength training exercises help to sharpen your focus and keep your mind attentive as you age.

Strength training: Get stronger, leaner, healthier [Mayo Clinic]
7 Reasons to Add Strength Training to Your Workout Routine [Everyday Health]
Benefits of Strength Training [Body Building]

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr davco9200