The Caesar salad wasn’t named after the Roman Emperor Julius Caesar but after an Italian named Caesar Cardini. While Cardini himself might have been named in honor of Julius Caesar, there’s no direct connection between the two. What we do know is that the Caesar salad was invented around 1924 by Cardini, a chef, restaurateur, and hotelier in Tijuana, Mexico. His restaurant, Caesar’s, was established to attract Americans looking to escape Prohibition.
As the story goes, on a particularly busy 4th of July, the restaurant ran low on supplies. To make do, Cardini created the salad using the ingredients he had on hand. He prepared it tableside for a bit of flair, and that dramatic presentation became a signature tradition.
Where Has Our Caesar Salad and Tableside Service Gone?
Once upon a time, servers would prepare Caesar salad tableside with flair and ceremony, mixing fresh ingredients before diners’ eyes. While the salad remains wildly popular, the experience has changed. Outside of old-school, white-tablecloth establishments, the dressing now often comes from a bottle, the croutons from a commercial bakery, and the tableside performance is a thing of the past.
This tradition traces its roots to the Middle Ages, when carving game for kings was a skilled art form, later evolving into the tableside theatrics perfected by French chefs. These skills were once passed down and entrusted to professional, career-minded servers, who, even in the 1960s and ’70s, viewed the craft of service as a serious vocation.
But times have changed. High turnover rates, shorter tenures, and the soaring costs of labor make it difficult for most restaurants to invest in the extensive training required for such artistry. As a result, the charm of tableside service has largely faded into history.
Let’s Make a Caesar Salad!
Tear the romaine into pieces.
Mash the minced anchovy, garlic and a pinch of salt into a paste and transfer to a mixing bowl. Complete the dressing by whisking in egg yolks, lemon juice, mustard and worcestershire with the olive oil until it is thick and glossy.
Whisk in the parmesan and season with salt and pepper to taste
Hail Caesar – King of Salads
There’s nothing like a genuine, made from scratch caesar salad. If you want one, you must do it yourself. Follow my instructions and if your friends are lucky they can enjoy tableside service from you! Print
Caesar Salad
Traditional caesar salad with fresh hand torn romaine, olive oil, anchovy and mustard
- Yield: 4-6 1x
Ingredients
- 2 romaine hearts – torn to pieces
- 1/2 cup olive oil – divided
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 6 anchovy filets – drained and minced + plus more for garnish
- 1 large garlic clove – minced
- 1–1/2 TBL lemon juice
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 dash worcestershire sauce
- 2 cups stale coarse white bread – torn into 1” pieces
- 4 TBL finely grated parmesan
- kosher salt
- ground black pepper
- shaved or grated parmesan for garnish
Instructions
Dressing
- Mince 6 anchovy filets drained of oil, garlic clove and a pinch of kosher salt
- Mash all the above into a paste and scrape into a mixing bowl
- Whisk in egg yolks, lemon juice, mustard and worcestershire, followed by 6 TBL olive oil, adding it slowly until the dressing is thick and glossy
- Whisk in the parmesan and season with salt and pepper to taste
Croutons
- Preheat oven to 375
- Toss the torn bread with 2 TBL olive oil
- Season with salt and freshly ground pepper and spread evenly on a baking pan
- Bake at 375 for 10-15 minutes tossing after 7-8 minutes until golden brown
Assembly
- Immerse romaine leaves in ice water for 10 minutes to wash and bring out color
- Drain and pat the leaves dry, then hand tear them into large bite size pieces. Do not use the thick white parts of the leaf ribs
- Mix dressing, romaine and croutons, adding the dressing a little at a time until the leaves are coated but NOT drenched
- Divide into individual servings and shave or sprinkle a little fresh parmesan on each salad
- Garnish with whole anchovy filets (optional)
- Serve and offer fresh ground pepper with a peppermill