Philly’s best Caesars are more than ‘just salad’

Underneath its deceptively simple guise, the Caesar salad is a culinary powerhouse.

The salad was invented in 1924 in Tijuana, Mexico, at a restaurant owned by Italian immigrant Caesar Cardini, though disagreements exist about who actually invented it. Despite its apocryphal beginnings, the Caesar is timeless, its simplicity one of its greatest charms. An assemblage of crunchy romaine, croutons, it is a blank canvas for the genius that is its signature dressing, a creamy, savory blend of Worcestershire sauce, eggs, oil, lemon, garlic, and anchovies.

Liz Grothe, Philly’s underground supper club queen, champions the Caesar as a beginner’s guide to the rich, savory world of umami. Despite their seeming ordinariness, the ingredients have nowhere to hide in this simple salad, so their depth and versatility take center stage. If you’re in the mood for more updated classics, Inquirer restaurant critic Craig LaBan found noteworthy versions like the anchovy-forward Caesar at Royal Tavern and tahini Caesar at High Street.

“[They’re] the gateway to these flavors, [helping you to get] out of your comfort zone and eat an anchovy for the first time,” Grothe said.

Meanwhile, other Philly chefs are redefining the “umami flavor bomb,” as Grothe calls it, adding extra flair or deconstructing it all together. For instance, Grothe serves up a Caesar toast as sort of an amuse-bouche, skipping the lettuce altogether but celebrating the anchovy in both the dressing and in the form of bright Boqueron served atop pan-seared focaccia, playing with the idea of a big crouton.

Around town, you’ll find other exciting transformations of the classic Caesar, from chicken schnitzel salads in Center City to Caesar hoagies in South Kensington and Fishtown. Here are six innovative Caesars we can’t stop eating.

Forget anchovies — this Bella Vista Filipino hot spot opts for the punch of bagoong, a fermented shrimp paste. The paste adds a briny kick to the dressing, which coats Napa cabbage and bitter mustard greens in lieu of romaine, while shaved cured duck yolks, scallions, sesame seeds, fried shallots, and chili sesame oil up the umami ante.

“We wanted to break down what makes a Caesar salad good: cold and crispy greens, creamy and tangy dressing, something crunchy, and something salty but funky,” chef/owner Chance Anies said. “Then we added a lil’ extra pizzazz and heat.”

📍 932 South 10th St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19147, 📞 215-315-8720, 🌐 tabachoyphilly.com

Imagine this: a fusion of classic Caesar salad flavors nestled within the comforting embrace of a hoagie. For $16.50, the South Kensington/Fishtown deli and market Liberty Kitchen delivers just that. Chef Beau Neidhardt tosses curls of kale, crispy shallots, shaved pecorino Romano, and a house Caesar dressing made with Merro-brand anchovies atop a breaded chicken cutlet inside a fresh Liscio’s Bakery seeded roll.

📍1400 N. Front St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19122, 📞 215-964-9535, 🌐 libertykitchenphl.com

The Black Caesar salad at Honeysuckle Provisions, the West Philly Afrocentric grocery and cafe, features a nontraditional dressing. Chefs Omar Tate and Cybille St. Aude-Tate sub anchovies with smoked herring, a celebrated ingredient in Haitian gastronomy, and add a 9- to 12-day fermented black garlic from resident fermenting specialist Jamaar Julal —black garlic is funky, but also sweet, earthy and complex, adding a bass note to an already savory preparation Field greens, pickled shallots, grana padano cheese, and croutons made from Yamz bread, featuring housemade sweet potato flour, bring this flavorful salad together.

📍310 S. 48th St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19143, 📞 215-307-3316, 🌐 honeysuckleprovisions.com

Chef Liz Grothe started Couch Cafe as a pop-up, but as she looks to open up her own spot, she’s popping up at East Kensington’s Forin Cafe through May 25 with a residency. There, you’ll find her playful take on the Caesar salad, made with pan-fried sourdough focaccia toasts (the “crouton”) slathered in a Caesar dressing with colatura, an Italian anchovy sauce, as the base. Boqueron, a.k.a. Spanish white anchovies, top the toast, along with Parmesan and black pepper. “A salad without any of the lettuce for a bit more fun,” Grothe said.

📍 2525 Frankford Ave, Philadelphia, Pa. 19125, 🌐 lizlaugh.love

At Darling Jack’s in Center City, you’ll find the chicken schnitzel Caesar ($19) at lunch and brunch only. Chef-owner Marcie Turney wanted to offer an “elevated, composed version” of the traditional chicken Caesar salad, gilding the lily with a crispy Parm-crusted chicken breast as the base. Burying the poultry in a bed of color are red endive and Little Gem lettuce coated with an anchovy-lemon aioli, shaved fennel, and Parmesan.

📍104 S 13th St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19107, 📞 215-546-4200, 🌐 darlingjacks.com

Step into this Rittenhouse restaurant to discover a vegan and gluten-free riff: the barbecue tempeh Caesar salad. Priced at $18, this dish coats organic lacinato kale, house-pickled onions, and roasted maple-barbecue glazed tempeh with a Caesar dressing dupe, featuring dulse flakes (a type of seaweed) subbing for anchovies and a creamy cashew base in lieu of eggs.

📍1706 Locust St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19103, 📞 215-985-1706, 🌐 psandco.com