It had been combined with red onions and cilantro, then wrapped in butter lettuce.

In another appetizer salad, it seemed that the butter lettuce had been dressed with nothing more exciting than water.

She lifted her fork in turn and speared a fold of olive-oiled butter lettuce, bringing it to her red lips.

"The only kind of lettuce you could get was Romaine and butter lettuce and no one grew fresh basil," he said.

The best deal is a salad for two ($8.50) of butter lettuce so soft it almost melts in the mouth.

If they volunteered to mince garlic, dice carrots, clarify butter, wash lettuce or scrub pots, that would be great.

In a large bowl, toss together arugula, butter lettuce, mint, fennel and orange zest.

Sure, there are two salads on the dinner menu, but the good one showered a rich buttermilk dressing and hunks of bacon over butter lettuce.

The endive, apple, butter lettuce and blue cheese salad with a well-balanced quince-pecan vinaigrette is another good choice.

Common varieties are Romaine, iceberg, and butter lettuce.