Delicious: The Salad Bar at Roots Market

When I was young, salad bars ruled the Earth. They ranged from classy to fast food, and they were everywhere. Now, the Roots market salad bar may be the last of its kind.

This is a good place for lunch. It's great to grab something to take home for dinner. Healthy. Delicious. And you pick what you like. Roots is the center of a Clarksville empire based on good food, so you know that you're getting good items whatever you choose. That is worth $7.99 a pound.

I don't talk enough about Roots or the other organic grocery stores David's Natural Market and My Organic Market. The national organic brands rarely inspire me, and none of the three markets has the prepared food, the butchers or the stellar cheeses that make Whole Foods so unique. But I love them for grains, and they're still high-quality places. On Saturday, I ran into Roots for mozzarella cheese to pair with pick-your-own tomatoes, and I grabbed a baguette to round out the fun. Bonaparte Bread in Savage still sells the best bread in Howard County (and sells at the Sunday farmers market in Columbia), but most days don't allow for special bread trips so the baguette at Roots is a good alternative. Dipped in a fish stock, spread with butter, or soaked and fried into French toast.

Check out a listing of all organic and ethnic markets in Howard County. My favorites include Lily's Mexican Market and Sizar's Food Mart for Middle Eastern.

Roots Market

5805 Clarksville Square Drive
Clarksville, MD 21029
443-535-9321
http://www.rootsmkt.com/

NEAR: It's on Rte 108 just north of Rte 32. The Clarksville Square shopping center is on the west side filled with "crunchy" businesses owned by the same people -- a restaurant, a pet supply shop, a decorating place. Look for the Jiffy Lube on Rte 108.