Hail Caesar

I mourn the demise of the  table-side Caesar.

Caesar Cardini created the Caesar Salad in 1924 at his Tijuana restaurant by using ingredients he had on hand after an unexpected Fourth of July rush wiped out his kitchen. To bolster the oomph factor and woo his remaining hungry guests, Cardini  had his chefs  prepare, assemble, and toss the salads table-side. The notion took off and its notoriety catapulted its migration  north to restaurants across the United States. Once considered a showstopping staple of high end steakhouses and restaurants, the grandeur  of a tossed table-side Caesar Salad endured for decades. Over time, that grandeur  slowly and sadly faded into extinction. Granted, from the production side of things, table-side Caesars were high maintenance.  The rolling carts, huge wooden bowls, ingredients, and the gratuitous time involved probably bogged down the timing of busy dining rooms. But hey, from the other side of the cart, it was pure adventure. Time stood still when the server rolled the salad cart to the table and  prepared the simple dressing with anchovies, garlic, lemon juice, egg yolks, worchestershire sauce, parmesan cheese, cracked pepper, and olive oil in a large wooden bowl before tossing it with chilled crisp romaine lettuce, hand torn croutons, and copious amounts of more parmesan. It was a moment. High drama. Cue the lights. And yes, showstopping. I still long for that bygone relic.

My last table-side Caesar was at a newly opened restaurant on Valentine's Days years and years ago. Even through  the reckless chaos of a boisterous dining room on a night of pure mayhem, time melted away when the cart rolled up to the side of our table and the server meticulously constructed a classic table-side Caesar. Pure magic.

Although the drama of table-side service might be a thing of the past, the ubiquitous Caesar salad still endures. In Cardini's original salad, dressed romaine leaves were left whole to be picked up and eaten as finger food. Nowadays, you're most likely to find them chopped, hand torn, smoked, grilled, or topped with various grilled proteins.

Whether for a special date night or cozy fireside dinner, invite Caesar to the party. And if you're feeling nostalgic, grab a bowl and toss it table-side.

Grilled Caesar Salad

Dress it up. 
Like a strand of pearls with a simple black dress, the dressing makes the salad.

Embrace the anchovy.
After smashing, mincing, and pasting 2 whole peeled garlic cloves, I used the tines of a fork to mash 6 oil-packed flat anchovy filets into the garlic paste. When thoroughly combined, I added 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice, a few dashes worchestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon dijon mustard, 3 tablespoons grated freshly grated parmesan, cracked black pepper, and two coddled organic egg yolks (unpeeled eggs simmered for 60 seconds in boiling water). After whisking the mix until smooth,  I drizzled in 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil and 1/2 cup neutral canola oil while using  an immersion blender to emulsify the dressing.

Dress it down.
I'm a big fan of grilled lettuces. Hardy romaine can take the heat and caramelize just enough to wilt the edges while remaining crisp and fresh.

After halving 3 medium hearts of romaine, I brushed the cut sides with olive oil, dusted them with salt, and nestled them onto a screaming hot grilled pan for about 3 minutes. When they were slightly charred, I tossed them into a large bowl, added the dressing, and carefully massaged the dressing through the leaves of the romaine before finishing with Sunrise Bakery French bread grilled croutons, shaved parmesan, cracked black pepper, and flaked sea salt.

Suspended throughout the glistening  leaves, the piquant creamy anchovy-flecked dressing tempered the slight caramelized char of the lettuce. While the shards of cheese added nutty bites, the crusty grilled croutons provided needed crunch.

Grilled Caesar.
Everything old is new again.