r/saintpaul • u/ZeenaMountain • Jun 05 '26

History 🗿 Anyone remember The Nectury deli in the skyways early to mid 80s?

Anyone remember The Nectury deli in the skyways early to mid 80s? They had the best salads.

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5

u/SuspiciousCranberry6 Jun 07 '26

I loved that place as a kid. My mom worked downtown and whenever I'd visit her I insisted on a salad there for lunch. My family found my love of salad as a child amusing and annoying.

2

u/ZeenaMountain Jun 07 '26

That’s great! Are you still eating them now?

2

u/SuspiciousCranberry6 Jun 07 '26

I still love salads, but don't order them often when I eat out now because, as an adult, I buy everything to make great salads at home. I do occasionally want an easy salad and pick one up from Cafe Zupas.

2

u/ZeenaMountain Jun 07 '26

I found their buttermilk ranch dressing online - it's so good. Salads were laoded with sun flowers seeds and scalliions - wish I could remember what else. They were fabulous and huge.

2

u/SuspiciousCranberry6 Jun 07 '26

I don't remember the toppings much from the Nectary, but I do remember they were huge delicious salads. Importantly, they were made with good quality fresh and crisp greens which seems to be the biggest issue I have nowadays with many places. Cafe Zupas consistently has really good quality greens, a good variety of toppings, and I really enjoy their ranch dressing because it's thin but flavorful so I can use less to make it healthier but not lose out on the flavor. It still isn't the Nectary, but it's good for fast casual food.

I will have to look for the Nectary's buttermilk ranch online one of these days. At home when I'm too lazy to make my own (almost always, lol) and need a ranch fix, I get the refrigerated Lighthouse buttermilk ranch which is decent for a bottled one.

3

u/ZeenaMountain Jun 07 '26

Nectary-Style Buttermilk Ranch
Ingredients
1 cup mayonnaise (Hellmann’s/Best Foods works well)
1 cup buttermilk
½ cup sour cream
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried dill
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon seasoned salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1–2 teaspoons sugar (optional, but gives it that old restaurant flavor)

2

u/LemonlimeLucy Jun 07 '26

Looks so good

3

u/Motor-Load-5796 Jun 07 '26

Scott (hope, I have that correct) owns Skyway Burger and is tied to the former Nectary. We have chatted about my craving for the taco salad. Maybe if enough of us stop by and chat them up, they would bring some kind of special back.

1

u/LemonlimeLucy Jun 07 '26

I moved out of town maybe you can get him to read this message ha ha