No, the caesar salad was not named after Roman Emperor Julius Caesar. It was named after Caesar Cardini, an Italian who may have been named after Julius, so indirectly, who knows? What we do know is that the caesar salad was created circa 1924 by Mr. Cardini, a chef, restaurateur and hotelier in Tijuana, Mexico. His restaurant, Caesar’s, was established to lure Americans across the border to escape prohibition.

The legend claims the restaurant ran low on provisions because of the booming business on that 4th of July and Caesar created the salad from what remained. He whipped it together tableside to entertain his guests and that became the traditional presentation.

Where, Oh Where has our Caesar Salad Gone?

Once upon a time, servers would perform the ritual of making caesar salad tableside, mixing ingredients with great fanfare. Although the salad is still massively popular, unless you are dining at an old-school white tablecloth restaurant the dressing is a bottled concoction, the croutons from a commercial bakery and tableside service has disappeared.

The Demise of Tableside Service

With roots in the middle ages, when carving game was an art form demanded by Kings, to the rise of French Chefs practicing tableside, service was a public demonstration of skill. These skills were taught and delegated to the staff, which in the 60’s and 70’s still consisted of dedicated, career minded servers. Therein lies the answer. Restaurant service is no longer considered the career path it once was. Tenure is short and turnover is high. Costs have soared and most restaurants cannot afford to invest in the training required to artfully fulfill the duties.

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!