Is it a crime to go to a red sauce Italian joint and fall in love with a salad? If it is, book me, because I can’t get enough of one offered at Caruso’s Grocery, which opened in the Pike & Rose development in December. When my tricolore salad arrives at the table, I stop for a few seconds to take in the prettiness of the assemblage of bright red radicchio, vibrant green arugula and sliced olives and white endive that mimics the three colors of the Italian flag.

Orange segments, toasted pistachios and fennel vinaigrette made with orange and lemon juice bring the salad to life, adding sweetness, acid and crunch. It’s only fitting—downright patriotic, really—to accompany it with an antipasti dirty martini made with tomato-infused gin, basil and olive brine.