The Classic Caesar's Salad, 100 Years After Its Invention

[Pink Freud]

Today's New York Times honors the 100th anniversary of the original Caesar's salad created at Caesar Cardini's in Tijuana, and tweaked over the years to perfection today. This is precisely what they toss tableside 2500 times a week these days at Caesar's, and what I tossed tableside dozens of times during an excruciating holiday season at The Media Club in downtown St. Louis 30 years ago.

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/102 ... d=em-share

Note: As great as this is, the legendary Rossino's served a killer version, very similar to this recipe (thank you, Delores), tossed into a blender with fresh celery. If anyone from the Zimmerman or DelPietro family will share the literal Rossino's recipe here, we'll be forever grateful. I used to dine at Rossino's long after I worked there, ordering the Caesar as first course, and a double Caesar for main course.

The upshot: Prior to working there I would never, ever have gone near a Caesar because it contained anchovies. However, one busy night there I was exhausted and famished, so I ate one left behind.....and was hooked. Still am.

[abuxb]

One place to get a great Caesar salad in St.Louis is Edera, on Maryland Plaza in the CWE. It's called a smoked Caesar, so it may not be authentic, but it sure is delicious. Also, I love anchovies. The only good pizza, as far as I'm concerned, is one with anchovies.

[DJ Davis]

I love me a good Caesar salad. Probably the best one I’ve had is in Hawaii, made table side here:

https://hyswaikiki.com/menus/

[Pink Freud]

I can remember when Arcobasso's was a tiny trattoria in Dellwood; then they became a huge factory in Hazelwood bottling many area restaurants' signature dressings for retail sale.

It is for that reason I wish more restaurants everywhere would really spend one day creating their own signature dressings, to give patrons a reason to select their salad (or even salad bar) over another. I've never understood restaurants buying gallons of goop-like, generic, institutional-grade dressings from Sysco or USA Foods and forcing that on their diners. As long as the produce is fresh, a salad tends to be a salad, with creativity involving the chosen veggies and other ingredients. The dressing alone can create repeat customer loyalty.

Gosh, how I wish I could find bottles of --- or make from scratch --- the Caesar dressing from Rossino's or the house Italian from the late Marnatti's in Shrewsbury.

[Pink Freud]

In reading the NY Times story about the 2500 Caesar salads per week mixed tableside at Caesars in Tijuana, it occurred to me they're (perhaps?) wasting 2500 egg whites per week. I wonder what they do with the albumen after separating the coddled egg tableside for each salad?

When I worked at St. Louis's SweeTarts/Spree factory, they used egg whites in their Chewy brands of each candy, which had to be manufactured in chilled rooms. That albumen, a vital ingredient in the taffy that formed the Chewy tablets base, made Chewy "kibble" that stuck to everything.....starting with your shoes.

[litarvan2002]

This from a restaurant the used to be in Kirkwood. Easy to make. Guarantee raves.

1.     1 Garlic Button
2.     ½ medium onion, chopped
3.     1 rib celery
4.     1 can anchovies (drained)
5.     1 TB black pepper
6.     1 heaping TS of Accent
7.     ½ Teas. Sugar
8.     2 TB mustard
9.     1 TB lemon juice (I always use fresh lemon juice)

10.                        Add 2 eggs
11.                        2 cups of salad oil
 
Put all ingredients in blender.

Use Romaine lettuce.
Garnish with croutons and fresh parmesan
Cheese

Lasts up to 2 weeks

[Cajanek-Spielmacher]

Jeremiah's? Back in the 80's we used to make Ceasar dressing tableside at AL BAKERS

[Pink Freud]

This from a restaurant the used to be in Kirkwood. Easy to make. Guarantee raves.

1.     1 Garlic Button
2.     ½ medium onion, chopped
3.     1 rib celery
4.     1 can anchovies (drained)
5.     1 TB black pepper
6.     1 heaping TS of Accent
7.     ½ Teas. Sugar
8.     2 TB mustard
9.     1 TB lemon juice (I always use fresh lemon juice)

10.                        Add 2 eggs
11.                        2 cups of salad oil
 
Put all ingredients in blender.

Use Romaine lettuce.
Garnish with croutons and fresh parmesan
Cheese

Lasts up to 2 weeks

Thanks for posting. I seriously wonder if that's the old Rossino's recipe that turned me into a Caesar Salad buff. Gotta make this and hold a taste test!