In 1924, chefs Césare and Alex Cardini began serving Caesar salads at their restaurant, Caesar’s, in Tijuana, Mexico. The dish—romaine lettuce covered in garlic, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and Worcestershire sauce—soon traveled far beyond the Mexican city. During Prohibition, Americans in Los Angeles and San Diego would frequently drive south across the border to drink and dance in Tijuana—and they fell in love with Caesar salad. A decade and a half later, when Cardini himself moved to California, he brought his recipe along with him, and the rest is history.
To mark the 100th anniversary of the now iconic menu item, Vogue decided to ask our editors to share the favorite Caesar salads they’ve ever had. Below, find their picks.
I always enjoy the elaborate Caesar salad—prepared table-side!—at Surf Club in Miami. The salad itself is quite classic and simple, but the presentation and preparation are what make it a real real star. Not to mention, it is delicious—especially when enjoyed with fries and a martini. –Christian Allaire, senior fashion writer
I started eating Caesar salad wraps before I started eating Caesar salads. I was maybe nine or 10 at the time—at the age where I was too old to order chicken fingers but not old enough for like, real food—and left unattended at my pool’s snack bar for the first time. I felt very adult, and so I ordered something I heard my mom get once. I’ve had plenty of fancy Caesar salads at plenty of fancy restaurants since. But it’s that one—at a run-down snack bar and probably made with Newman’s Own dressing—that’ll stick in my mind forever. –Elise Taylor, senior living writer
One of my favorite restaurants growing up was the now-shuttered Sam Harry’s—a Washington, D.C. steakhouse where on any given night you were liable to see senators, foreign dignitaries, and perhaps a president or VP, feasting on bone-in strip and creamed spinach. It was there that my father introduced me to Caesar salad. Though I’ve consumed many, many more since, the one at Sam Harry’s—tossed with the most delicious, anchovy-filled dressing, covered with fresh parmesan, and topped with buttery, homemade croutons—was the absolute best. –Leah Faye Cooper, digital style director
My mom has a delicious grilled Caesar salad recipe that I love. Grill-charred romaine, salty anchovy paste in homemade dressing, shaved parmesan, and a lemon wedge—tastes like summer! –Madeline Fass, senior market editor
The Caesar salad at the Monkey Bar has main character energy. This is not your humble starter course. It has whitefish instead of anchovies—a much more delicate seafood addition—and it has potato chips in lieu of croutons, making for a far superior crunch in my opinion. The dressing is zesty yet dense but doesn’t make the salad soggy. It’s really perfect. –Chloe Malle, Editor, Vogue.com
When it comes to Caesar salad, I’m not as fussed about the what as I am about the where. My idea of absolute heaven—if there really is a paradise up there, this is pretty much exactly how I picture it—is checking into a fancy hotel, jumping onto a set of crisp white linen sheets, pressing play on some trashy reality TV, and then ordering a Caesar salad with French fries and a Diet Coke (with plenty of ice and lemon, obvs). After my first bite of lettuce slathered with that briny, garlicky dressing—ideally offset by delicate shavings of Parmesan and the crunch of a perfect crouton—I transcend. –Liam Hess, living editor
While not billed as a Caesar, Barbuto’s famous kale salad contains many of the Caesar’s defining ingredients—anchovies, pecorino, egg yolk—but the rest is slightly remixed. The West Village restaurant has swapped romaine for Tuscan kale, added in fresh vasil leaves, and traded croutons for breadcrumbs. The result is a more elevated take on the salad—and it’s become a bit of a “thing,” as far as foods go. –Lilah Ramzi, contributing editor
It’s hard to narrow this down to one place, but at the moment, I think that Emmett’s on Grove has my favorite Caesar salad. The house-made croutons never miss. And if chicken Caesar wraps count? Bobwhite Counter has my number one spot in that category, no questions asked. –Taylor Lashley, social media manager
I’m not sure if Federico’s is the best Caesar salad I’ve had or if I’m just always super hungry whenever I am down at the Jersey Shore. Not only is it super cheap but it also pairs well with thin-crust pizzas. –Irene Kim, production and editorial coordinator, Vogue Runway
Tujunga Avenue in Studio City is already home to an incredibly famous salad whose dressing is said to induce labor. But just across the street, in the long shadow of the pregnancy salad, is possibly the best Caesar I’ve ever had, from Vitello’s. While the restaurant is (in)famous for far more sinister reasons (you can Google it), its Caesar salad should be one of its headliners thanks to its tangy dressing and inspired crouton ratio. –Hannah Jackson, fashion news writer
