My 1905 Salad…

For week three of salad month, I’m talking one of my favorite traditional—with lettuce—salads: Columbia Restaurant’s 1905 Salad.

Years ago, St. Petersburg had a Columbia on the third floor of our inverted Pier building: our city’s landmark. The 360-degree view of downtown and Tampa Bay made for the most picturesque place to lunch in the ‘Burg; enjoying traditional Cuban food while watching the dolphins and boats pass by was icing on the cake. And, although I tried many of the menu items at one point or another, my lunch there was always the same: the ‘half and half combo’ with the 1905 salad, gazpacho and some of the best iced tea around. The warm, individual loaf of Cuban bread that came out shortly after your drink arrived was the highlight of the meal–no sharing required.

Alright, so I have waxed poetic long enough. Sadly, the old Pier building was demolished and a new replacement is being built as we speak. I have not heard any talk of Columbia claiming a space at our new pier…sigh. For the record, I realize that there are five other Columbias in the state that I can visit, including the original location in Ybor City; but, not having one so close has been killing me.

The 1905 salad is named after the year when the Columbia opened its doors; reportedly, the recipe has not changed since. The salad is basic in its ingredients: lettuce, tomato, Spanish olives, Swiss cheese, Parmesan cheese, and ham, turkey or shrimp. But it is the dressing that is made tableside that was the piece de resistance. I’ve watched that dressing mixed—without measurements—about a hundred times and I couldn’t fight the cravings anymore: I had to figure out how to make it at home. (Even though they sell it bottled in their store and you can find the actual recipe online, I felt the need to replicate the experience of making it just like I’ve seen it done—with no measuring spoons). The servers are privy to the formula of getting it consistently right: to the diner, it simply seems as though they are throwing in a bit of this and a dash of that. In essence, that is how I experimented until I got it just right. The 1905 dressing is extremely versatile: with ingredients like fresh lemon juice, fresh garlic and Worcestershire, it can not only top any salad with a burst of tangy, garlicy flavor, but also would double as a great marinade.

My favorite leafy salad does take a bit of time to prep, but it is a meal in and of itself and well worth the effort. If having one 1905 salad just isn’t enough—and it never is—the components can be prepped in advance for another day; reserve the dressing until ready to serve. I like to make a double batch of it and keep it in a mason jar in the fridge: a quick shake and it’s ready to go when lunchtime rolls around.

Food somehow always seems to taste better when someone else is making it, but now that I’ve nailed the seemingly haphazard recipe for the Columbia’s 1905 salad dressing, I’m transported to that scenic view with the dolphins and the boats and the people buzzing by. Now, if I could only make Cuban bread… 

MY VEG TABLE’S 1905 SALAD 
This salad can be made without meat or seafood—or even cheese: load it up with veggies instead. Vegan Worcestershire sauce can be used to substitute for the original to make this salad vegan.

Dressing
Juice of 1 lemon
1 small clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, or vegan Worcestershire sauce
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Salad
2 cups lettuce
3 ounces baked ham, julienned (may substitute turkey, vegan deli meat or cooked shrimp)
3 ounces Swiss cheese or vegan cheese, julienned
3 Tablespoons freshly shredded Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, optional
1/2 cup diced tomatoes
5-10 pimiento-stuffed green Spanish olives, whole or sliced

In a small bowl or small mason jar, whisk—or shake—together lemon juice, garlic, Worcestershire sauce and olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.

In a large bowl, toss salad ingredients together. Toss with desired amount of dressing. Serve immediately.

Makes 1 serving.