I have strong opinions about Caesar salad
The little details that make all the difference
A note from Val: Why I ditched the anchovies
I love a really good Caesar salad. It’s my go-to when I order a salad at a restaurant.
The problem is that a lot of Caesar salads are just okay. The dressing is bland, the lettuce pieces are awkwardly large, and the croutons end up being an afterthought.
So when it came time to create a Caesar salad for the Tavva menu, I didn’t want it to be just another Caesar salad.
I wanted it to be unforgettable.
That meant obsessing over all the little details that make a Caesar salad great.
The first step was the dressing.
Traditional Caesar dressing is made with anchovies. Now, I’m perfectly fine with anchovies in a dressing as long as they’re blended so well that I don’t know they’re there. But I also know there are plenty of people who don’t love anchovies, and I had zero desire to use them as an ingredient if I didn’t have to.
So I set out to create a Caesar dressing that was packed with flavor without relying on anchovies. And I did it! The dressing turned out so good that Tyler loves using it as a dipping sauce for our homemade focaccia.
Once the dressing was finished, it was time to focus on the salad itself.
One thing that drives me crazy is giant pieces of romaine that are difficult to eat. I want a salad to be easy to eat with a fork, and I want every bite to have a little bit of everything. So we chop our romaine into bite-sized pieces and finish it with shaved parmesan and freshly cracked pepper.
Then came the croutons.
I’ve never loved giant croutons because they’re awkward to eat and usually only end up in a few bites of the salad. Instead, we use crushed croutons sprinkled throughout the salad so you get that crunch in every bite.
The final decision was the chicken.
You can order the Caesar as a side salad to go with any of our pastas, pizzas, or sandwiches. Or you can order it as a full-size salad and add either our grilled herb chicken or parmesan-crusted chicken to make it a complete meal.
And of course, no Tavva salad would be complete without a side of warm homemade focaccia.
Not only does it add another layer of flavor and texture to the meal, but it’s also perfect for soaking up every last bit of Caesar dressing left in the bowl.
I can’t wait for you to try it!