In this season of excess, salad makes sense.

A couple of weeks ago, the Island Life section's Team Food set out to identify a few Honolulu spots where you can buy a takeout salad that won't make you feel deprived.

The salads, from eateries in or not too far from Downtown, had to be available for takeout and, as entrees, they had to contain some protein (which, among other things, makes you feel full longer, giving you a fighting chance of resisting the afternoon cookie tray at the office). I made the first cut in a highly scientific manner (asked around, paged through our restaurant guide, looked back through our restaurant reviews and meandered around on the Internet).

Team Food members — OK, the eight tasters who showed up at a staff meeting that day — rated the half-dozen salads on taste, texture, creative touches, freshness of ingredients. We considered presentation only as a distant secondary element (it's takeout, after all). All were under $10 each.

We graded the salads on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being "This is so good I'd have it for dinner again tonight" and 1 being "It's just a salad." Which was interesting, because every single salad earned ratings from different tasters that ranged from 1 to 5 (or 4.5 from the Russian judge). Meaning somebody loved each one of these, and somebody greeted them with mere tolerance.

It didn't seem to matter, either, whether the salad was an idea new to the taster, or something we'd all had before. With salads, we concluded, it's all in the execution: ultra-fresh greens and other vegetables, moist and tender meat or fish, and a deft hand with dressing.

SALMON SUPREME

The overall highest point-getter, with an overall score of 4.06 points, and more 5-point scores than any other, was a grilled salmon salad from Diamond Head Market & Grill (which we ordered with a side of the grilled portobello mushroom with onions, just to be indulgent); 3158 Monsarrat Ave. This predictable dish, with greens, tomato, cucumbers, citrus garnish and a vinaigrette, was hardly anything new. But tasters described it as "satisfying ... like a 'comfort salad,' " "cooked just right," "generous (two salmon fillets)." "I ate it all and would go back." "I generally wouldn't order salmon, but I would order this." "First time trying salmon salad and now I'm in love."

PREDICTABLE APPEAL

In the middle of the pack, with overall scores just over 3 points each, were Big City Diner's paniolo chicken salad (3.38 points; multiple locations) and Pasta e Basta's 'ahi salad (3.18 points; Restaurant Row), both, again, salads you could make at home.

Paniolo chicken salad, a standard on the Big City Diner menu, earned high marks because we didn't have to tell them to deconstruct the salad (which includes warm grilled chicken; greens, cheese and corn kernels; and colored corn chips) so that it would survive transport; they already do that. Served with salsa and Thousand Island-style dressing, this is a version of the standard taco salad but, as tasters said, "the cilantro rub (on the chicken) makes it," "dressing is both sweet and spicy," "sweet corn was a highlight, "crunch is nice, go tricolor chips!" Even the fact that the chicken was described by several as a little dry didn't stop tasters from finishing two whole salads.

'Ahi salad, from Donato Laperfido's newish eatery, offered a smallish portion of richly flavored grilled tuna, but this Mediterranean-style mixture made up for it with a briny olives, crisp green beans, a quartered hard-boiled egg and an oil-and-vinegar dressing that drew praise as "among the best." This one was pretty, too.

PACKING A PUNCH

The next salad, a daily special 'ahi poke salad, from award-winning Nico's on Pier 38, netted 3.18 points despite the fact that every single taster commented on the spiciness of the extremely sprightly poke mixture — and several said it was too spicy. Delicate mesclun-style greens, tomatoes, citrus garnish and "seasoned 'ahi and sesame dressing offer a good balance of sweet and heat," one noted. "Hot! If flame wasn't an issue, I would've loved this," countered another. "Good selection of greens."

IN THE MIX

I flatly disagreed with the tasters on the 2.93 point score for the green salad with roast turkey or roast pork from Mix (35 S. Beretania St.), which, to my mind, is perfect. Capital P. The meats are sliced and the widely varied greens are dressed to order, personally by the chef, in front of you (so they take a few minutes). After tasting it for the first time a few weeks ago, I had an epiphany: "It doesn't matter what you serve if you know how to cook." In my experience, chef Bruno (he uses his first name only) knows how to select meats and to roast them so that the meat is moist even in the thinnest of slices, and the herbed exterior permeates the entire cut. However, a number of my fellow tasters found the dressing "bland," the greens "bitter," and protested that the roast pieces were too large. To all this, I say, as Nero Wolfe would, "Pfui!" I'll be ordering this one again and again.

SURPRISE, DELIGHT, DISAPPOINTMENT

Downtown's ASAP takeout counter (Hawai'i State Art Museum, 250 S. Hotel) offers a salad and bread combination each day, with your choice of "antipasti." I chose two — a smoked salmon slaw and a Greek-style melange of heirloom pear tomatoes, cucumbers, shaved red onion and feta cheese. The latter was a hit, but the chefs took a risk with the salmon slaw (thin-sliced smoked salmon and julienned cabbage) and it elicited mixed comments, ranging from "surprise and delight" to "yek!" "nice, smoky flavor" to "very strange." (Overall score: 2.93 points) The problem may have been one of the unexpected, slightly gelatinous texture of the salmon — which was more of the lox style — contrasting too sharply with the crunch of the cabbage. Again, the more predictable choice — the Greek mixture — earned high points, particularly the striped green pear tomatoes, which were brightly acidic and cracked open with juice at the bite.

Reach Wanda A. Adams at wadams@honoluluadvertiser.com.