Where did the Caesar salad originate?

Dear Straight Dope: I am having a hard time convincing my phillistine friends that Caesar salad was invented in Tijuana. Can you help me here? Or are you another one who believes it dates back to ancient Rome? jra

Guest correspondent Judith for the Straight Dope Science Advisory Board replies:

Ahem. From The Joy of Cooking, by Rombauer, Becker and Becker, 1997 edition:

“The Caesar is said to have been invented in 1924 by Caesar Cardini at his restaurant in Tijuana, Mexico, where it was made with whole leaves of romaine lettuce and eaten with the fingers. Long a staple ceremoniously tossed at tableside in Continental restaurants, the Caesar is now a salad of choice in restaurants of every type. Whether or not to include anchovies in the salad was once a main point of discussion. Today the question is whether to top the Caesar with chicken breast, shrimp or sliced beef. Any of these make a fine addition, turning a first course into an entree, but we retain an affection for the pure and genuine article.”

Guest correspondent Judith for the Straight Dope Science Advisory Board

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STAFF REPORTS ARE WRITTEN BY THE STRAIGHT DOPE SCIENCE ADVISORY BOARD, CECIL’S ONLINE AUXILIARY. THOUGH THE SDSAB DOES ITS BEST, THESE COLUMNS ARE EDITED BY ED ZOTTI, NOT CECIL, SO ACCURACYWISE YOU’D BETTER KEEP YOUR FINGERS CROSSED.

Where did the Caesar salad originate?

A STAFF REPORT FROM THE STRAIGHT DOPE SCIENCE ADVISORY BOARD