Tagged: Restaurant
Beware the Ides of March: Caesar Salads To Die For
Until 44 B.C., the Ides of March was just a fancy way of saying March 15th. Ides simply meant the appearance of the full moon, and was marked mid-month in the ancient Roman calendar, which was the fifteenth day of Marcy , May, July or October and the thirteenth day of the other months. Since, Julius Caesar’s death and later Shakespeare’s first production of Julius Caesar in the 1600s the meaning of “Ides of March” is so much more than a lunar phase. So, as a tribute to the Ides of March we’re sharing some Caesar Salads to die for!
Caesar Salad from Petaluma in NYC's Upper East Side. (Photo Courtesy of Petaluma.)
Fried Olives and Focaccia set the stage for a meal at Petaluma where they serve a classic Caesar salad with Parmesan and anchovies.
The croutons are always a point of contention whether you like them small or chunky, thin or thick, lots or none at all. At Sons of Essex they take it even further and make a unique crouton to top their Caesar. Their salad of chopped romaine lettuce is topped with Kossar’s Bialys croutons unless it is brunch in which case you’ll find waffle croutons.
Of course in San Francisco, you’ve got the Fog City Diner serving their salad with sourdough croutons. Their whole leaf Caesar salad is topped with a white anchovy vinaigrette.
If you want that “old school” feel you can head to New York’s Post House for their table-side Caesar salad service.
East Coast “mini chain” Chop’t is perhaps the fast food of the future with a focus on better ingredients. CHop’t makes small batches of dressing without using sugar or high fructose corn syrup. Chop’t serves a traditional Caesar salad made with romaine and shaved Pecorino and offer a lighter Spa Caesar dressing which is under 50 calories. For a twist, there is the Mexican Caesar with cotija cheese, jalapeños, tortilla chips and a Mexican Caesar dressing. This month, through April, a new Caesar will be The Sardinian Caesar which is made with Organic Baby Kale, FreeBird Grilled Chicken, Fiore Sardo Cheese, Flatbread Crisps, Romaine Lettuce, and served with a Creamy Lemon Caesar dressing.
Chef Laurent Manrique not only has a unique twist on Caesar salad, but two Michelin stars to boot! The Carlton Hotel’s Millesime serves a grilled Caesar salad. Chef grills the hearts of romaine until soft and then they are stuffed with parmesan and browned under the broiler. The salad is then draped with slices of smoked sable and topped with a parmesan vinaigrette ($8).
Tuck into winter menus: The Hudson (Los Angeles)
Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve there’s something appealing about warm winter soups, and seafood stews. Los Angeles’ The Hudson launches their winter menu with plenty of tasty bites to keep you satiated all winter long. After you snag a few photos of your favorite dishes off the new menu for FoodieBytes then you can head to the photo booth for some fun shots to remember this year by before stepping into 2012.
The Hudson, West Hollywood
On the menu are a winter risotto with butternut squash and wild mushrooms ($10), a wild salmon with tuscan white bean and Spanish chorizo ragu, and Manila clams ($19), a grilled Mahi served with asparagus, roasted potatoes in a white wine and brown sugar shallot reduction ($19), Cioppino (pictured above) made with market fish of the day, calamari, black mussels, Manila clams served with garlic crostini ($18), and last but certainly not least is the Gorgonzola burger served sith balsamic grilled onion arugula and a red wine Dijon mustard reduction.
Seasonal drinks include a Spellbound cocktail ($11) with Jasmine green tea infused Grey Goose, Ginjo Sake, fresh mint and orange juice and the Sattellite with Hudson’s bosc pear infused Rye Whiskey, Cocchi di Torino Vermouth, Laird’s apple brandy and bitters. ($11).
Cheers to winter!
