There Ought to be a Law

I recently traveled to Ashland, Oregon, where I had one of the best caesar salads ever (I mean you, Maroni's). Since I am a huge fan of this salad, I tend to be wary of ordering it. Let me explain. Several years ago, caesar salad began appearing everywhere, and I found that most places don't know a caesar from a chef from a dinner salad. But my experience at Maroni's put me in a you-never-know-until-you-try kind of mood, so a couple of nights ago I ordered a caesar. It came drenched in a ranch style dressing posing as a caesar dressing. And it was covered with bermuda onions. Onions! Listen up, folks. There should be no onions in a caesar salad. No tomatoes. No carrots, or spinach. No sunflower seeds. Believe it or not, I have had caesars served up with all these items. No, no, no!

There ought to be a law. If a food establishment puts caesar salad on the menu, then anyone and everyone responsible for making said salad should be instructed in what it is and is not. Render unto caesar salad only that which belongs in caesar salad.

A caesar should, of course, be served with a real caesar dressing. And grilled chicken or salmon seem to be a sympatico addition. Apart from these two modern adaptations, this is all that should appear in your caesar salad:

• romaine lettuce (note: the outer leaves should be removed)
• croutons
• grated parmesan

When at home, let one and all indulge in variations to their heart's content. But in a place serving food to the public, anyone deviating from the traditional caesar should be roundly chastised and relegated to dinner salads. Or some other line of work.

You can find a brief history of this salad, and all the ingredients for a traditional caesar at http://reluctantgourmet.com/caesar.htm