Photos by Laurie Proffitt

Hail Caesar . . . and other great summer salads! A grazer's guide to some of Chicago's grandest greens - and other colors in the fruit and vegetable spectrum. By Nancy Ross Ryan If we intend to follow the current culinary wisdom and eat with the seasons, then summer is our invitation to a veritable smorgasbord of salads. For the next three months, a cornucopia of lettuces, fruits and vegetables will reach the peak of ripeness, color and flavor. And chefs will be reaching for the best from the market basket to create their signature salads -- which always seem to taste better in a restaurant than at home. Although nouveau salads have appeal, nothing is quite as satisfying as the world's classic salads, headed by the grand old Caesar. So we picked six great classic salads: Caesar, Cobb, Niçoise, Lyonnaise, Spinach and Caprese. And we quizzed their creators: What goes into the salad bowl (because creative chefs will always add their signature touch)? What accounts for this classic salad's perennial popularity? Why do salads at fine restaurants always taste better than salads made at home? And if you want to have a glass of wine with the classic salads, what would you choose? What is your all-time favorite salad? CAESAR SALAD Chef Leo Waldmeier The Drake Hotel (Club International, The Cape Cod Room) SALAD BRIEF: Created in Tijuana, Mexico, in 1924 on the Fourth of July weekend, by Caesar Cardini, an Italian immigrant turned restaurateur. His original version had whole Romaine leaves, not torn, and Worcestershire sauce, no anchovies, and was intended as a main course. The salad became wildly popular with guests from Hollywood. Later Cardini tore the leaves into bite-size pieces, but always insisted there should be no anchovies in the dressing. Today his creation almost always includes anchovies. CHEF WALDMEIER'S VERSION: Put excellent olive oil in a bowl, then add garlic, Dijon -- or any good European style -- mustard, egg yolk from a food-safe pasteurized egg -- if you use this at home you must coddle the yolk or you may omit it, salt, freshly ground pepper, real anchovy fillets, red wine vinegar and fresh lemon juice. After the dressing is mixed and emulsified, the perfectly crisp torn Romaine lettuce is added, the salad is sprinkled with freshly grated real Parmesan, and tossed. Then the croutons -- which are made fresh -- are added. Note: At Club International the salad is made by the captain at the station; if you request it made table side in the Cape Cod Room they will do it for you; otherwise it is made -- always to order -- in the kitchen. POPULARITY: Two reasons -- first we love salt and this salad has anchovies, salt and Parmesan. Second, it is made to order -- salad doesn't get any fresher. RESTAURANT VS. HOME: "It depends on whose home," says Waldmeier. "Salads made at my home taste just as good as salads at any restaurant. But I think home cooks in general are too shy with the vinegar." WINE: A real robust Italian red wine, a good Chianti. FAVORITE SALAD: Wild (not domestically grown) mâche, with chopped onion, salt and freshly ground pepper, olive oil and Sherry vinegar. COBB SALAD Chef François Kwaku-Dongo Spago Chicago SALAD BRIEF: This chopped salad of avocado, lettuce, celery, tomato, bacon, chicken, cheese, hard-boiled egg, watercress, and blue cheese with French dressing was created in 1936 -- as a way to utilize leftover ingredients -- by Bob Cobb, at his Brown Derby restaurant in Los Angeles. CHEF KWAKU-DONGO'S VERSION: Oven-roasted chopped turkey breast, tender slender French green beans, diced Roma tomatoes, mixed lettuces -- cabbage, radicchio, mesclun, crisp oven-roasted applewood smoked bacon, grated egg white and yolk, and a dressing of sour cream, heavy cream, horseradish and chives. POPULARITY: Very light, and the ingredients are recognizable. It's very simple and wonderful for lunch or dinner. RESTAURANT VS. HOME: "In restaurants we layer flavors, let foods marinate overnight, and use several different vinegars and oils in the same dressing. And we are always tasting, perfecting our recipes." WINE: A Riesling from Austria. FAVORITE SALAD: The chopped vegetable salad that Wolfgang [Puck] created 15 years ago. It changes with the season. And the Dijon mustard dressing has three vinegars -- Sherry, red wine and balsamic -- and four oils -- walnut, olive, peanut and hazelnut oil. SALADE NIÇOISE Chef Matt Voskuil Bistrot Zinc SALAD BRIEF: A traditional salad from the Riviera city of Nice in Provence in Southern France that makes use of many of the indigenous ingredients -- olives, French green beans, onions, canned (yes, fresh tuna is not traditional!) tuna, onions, olive oil, hard-cooked eggs and herbs. CHEF VOSKUIL'S VERSION: Romaine lettuce, potatoes marinated in lemon-vinaigrette with parsley, blanched French green beans, red onion, tomato wedges, black oil-cured pitted olives, white anchovies, and canned, water-pack premium white tuna that has been marinated in pistou and lemon vinaigrette. POPULARITY: It's healthy, colorful, filling, flavorful but light. RESTAURANTS VS. HOME: Voskuil says, "We have access to the freshest produce and are more skilled at preparation, especially seasoning. We're designed to be cooking food all the time, and we have professional cooks who can do in minutes what it would take you 45 minutes to do at home." WINE: A crisp sauvignon blanc. FAVORITE SALAD: Mixed baby greens with toasted hazelnuts, red onion, roasted pears and goat cheese fondue -- beurre blanc with goat cheese instead of butter and a touch of toasted cumin. SALADE LYONNAISE Chef John Hogan Savarin SALAD BRIEF: Created generations ago in Lyons, France, a gastronomic region known for its charcuterie and transforming every part of the pig into ham, sausage and bacon. Salad includes bacon (lardons) and light green frisée (also known as chicory, curly endive), croutons, all topped with a poached egg. The flavor and textural combinations of crisp bitter lettuce, smoky bacon, crunchy croutons and rich yellow egg are legendary. CHEF HOGAN'S VERSION: Contains nice white frisée dressed with a walnut-Sherry vinaigrette, crisp lardons of smoky bacon, croutons cooked fresh just before service that are crunchy outside and soft inside, and topped with a perfectly poached egg. POPULARITY: Great textures and the bitterness of the frisée is a nice contrast with the richness of the egg. An abundance of bacon and croutons. "Bacon and eggs are not just for breakfast," says Hogan. RESTAURANT VS. HOME: Hogan says, "Restaurant salads taste better because you're not making it, says Hogan, and it's served with amenities -- a nicely set table, a glass of wine." WINE: Billecart-Salmon brut (Champagne). FAVORITE SALAD: Ham and julienned Belgian endive with Dijon mustard vinaigrette -- to die for. SPINACH SALAD Chef Susan Goss Zinfandel SALAD BRIEF: The Spanish brought spinach to the new world, says John Mariani in Dictionary of American Food and Drink (Hearst Books, New York, 1994). Then American children were coaxed to eat it by Popeye (the early 1900's cartoon character whose strength came from canned spinach). But its bitter taste has divided diners into spinach lovers and spinach haters. Some will only eat it cooked, but for those who will only eat it raw, the traditional American spinach salad with its hot bacon dressing, onion, tomato and hard cooked egg is the best of both worlds. CHEF GOSS'S VERSION: Organic spinach, with Yukon gold potatoes that have been boiled, toasted on the grill and sliced, grilled Shiitake mushrooms, cherry tomato, feta cheese, black oil-cured California olives, wood grilled red onions and lemon-oregano vinaigrette. May be topped with wood-grilled salmon or chicken breast. POPULARITY: "It's perceived as being very healthy," says Goss, "although the original version with eggs and bacon dressing had a zillion fat grams. A spinach salad for lunch is filling enough to satisfy but light enough so you're awake for the 2 o'clock meeting." RESTAURANT VS. HOME: Goss says people at home don't spin dry lettuce. "That's the Number One step to a good salad. If the lettuce is wet or damp, the dressing slides to the bottom. Another reason good restaurant salads may taste better is that home cooks often resort to bottled dressings. A fresh vinaigrette is so simple to make." WINE: I say a 1998 Shooting Star vin gris from Mendocino. It's a true blush, not sweet. Drew [Goss] says a 1998 Preston sauvignon blanc. FAVORITE SALAD: Panzanella, a traditional Italian bread and tomato salad. CAPRESE Chef Jeffrey Begina Nicolinas SALAD BRIEF: Insalata Caprese hails from the Isle of Capri and was invented in the 1950s at the Trattoria da Vincenzo, according to Faith Willinger in Red, White & Greens (HarperCollins 1996), as a summertime luncheon salad: sliced ripe red tomatoes interlaced with fresh mozzarella and fresh green basil and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil. On Capri there is no fresh buffalo mozzarella, so a local fresh cow's milk mozzarella was used. Today, when available, chefs like to use fresh mozzarella made from buffalo milk. CHEF BEGINA'S VERSION: Fresh buffalo mozzarella, yellow and red beefsteak tomatoes, fresh basil, extra virgin olive oil, salt, freshly ground pepper, and a pinch fresh rosemary and thyme. POPULARITY: This salad is simplicity itself: ripe tomatoes, creamy sweet mozzarella, extra virgin olive oil. You can really taste the freshness. RESTAURANT VS. HOME: Begina says, "I think it's the ingredients and the attention to details, such as temperature. Our tomatoes are hand-picked, and never refrigerated, so they ripen naturally. The fresh mozzarella is imported, delivered three times a week, and also never refrigerated." WINE: An ice cold Pinot Grigio -- and some crusty country bread. FAVORITE SALAD: A Nicolinas special -- seafood orzo pasta salad.

PANZANELLA. We searched far and wide for a great Panzanella, or Tuscan Bread Salad (and my personal favorite) and failed to find one. So here is my recipe for this lusty combination of bread and tomatoes. Panzanella (Tuscan Bread Salad) Serves 8 as side salad, 4 as entree salad 4 cups cubed day- or two day-old Italian country or sourdough bread, crusts included 4 cups cubed ripe tomatoes 1 small red or white onion, peeled, very thinly sliced 1 seedless English cucumber, diced 1 tablespoon capers, rinsed, well-drained 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1/4 cup red wine vinegar 1 tablespoon aged balsamic vinegar (optional) salt, to taste freshly ground black pepper, to taste 1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves, julienned Soak bread in cold water to cover for a few minutes, then drain and squeeze out excess water. Place bread in a large ceramic or glass bowl, with chopped tomatoes. Toss lightly. Add onion, cucumbers and capers, toss again. In small bowl, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar and balsamic vinegar (if using). Toss salad ingredients with enough vinaigrette to coat well. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 8 hours. To serve: Let salad stand at room temperature long enough to take off the chill, about 1 hour. Season with salt and pepper to taste, adding a little more vinaigrette if needed. Right before serving, add basil and toss lightly.

SEVEN MORE GREAT CHICAGO SALADS BO LUC LAC, or, salad of warm seared filet mignon over watercress, tomato, cucumber and onions. Le Colonial GREEK COUNTRY SALAD of tomatoes, cucumber, green bell pepper, red onion, Kalamata olive, feta cheese, oregano and red wine vinaigrette. Artopolis INSALATA DI POLLO, salad of Romaine, grilled chicken breast, yellow and red bell peppers, pine nuts and red wine vinaigrette. Vivere SPINNING SALAD BOWL, made fresh table side, with Romaine and iceberg lettuce, baby spinach, shoestring beets, chopped hard-cooked egg, cherry tomatoes, sourdough croutons, Lawry's seasoning, and Lawry's vintage dressing. Lawry's SUMMER TRUFFLE SALAD, with organic field greens, fresh herbs, aged balsamic vinegar, truffle oil and shave black summer truffles from France. Caliterra MANGO SALAD, with julienned mango and papaya, saffron Yukon gold potato, watercress, baby mixed greens asparagus and citrus vinaigrette. RL THE SALAD BAR: And of course, we couldn't forget the great American Salad Bar. SALAD BRIEFS: The salad bar was invented in Chicago in 1971 at R.J. Grunts by Rich Melman and partner Jerry Orzoff.

Our vote for Chicago's best salad bar for freshness and variety is the salad bar at the North Avenue Whole Foods Market. Where to find them: Artopolis, 306 S. Halsted, 312.559.9000 Bistrot Zinc, 1131 N. State, 312.337.1131 Caliterra, The Wyndham Hotel, 633 N. St. Clair, 312.274.4444 Club International & Cape Cod Room, The Drake Hotel, 140 E. Walton, 312.787.2200 La Sardine, 111 N. Carpenter, 312.421.2800 Lawry's The Prime Rib, 100 E. Ontario, 312.787.5000 Le Colonial, 937 N. Rush St., 312.255.0088 Nicolinas Cucina, 455 North City Front Plaza Dr., 312.832.2600 RL Restaurant, 115 E. Chicago, 312.475.1100 Savarin, 713 N. Wells, 312.255.9520 Spago, 520 N. Dearborn St., 312.527.3700 Vivere, The Italian Village, 71 E. Monroe, 312.332.7005 Zinfandel, 58 W. Grand Ave., 312.527.1818

GOURMET ISSUE - June 2000

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