Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Bohemian Salad

Oh, man. Avenida Revolución is hurting. It's around eight on a Wednesday night, and only three clubs are thumping. The rest, blacked. Is it Homeland Security? I'm heading for the little store La Voz del Pueblo to get my buddy Cisco some cigarettes. (Tigres.) Except I feel peckish. "Special tonight," says this guy outside Caesar's hotel. I've always liked the creamy, castley old building. So what the heck. I decide to do something I've never done before: eat a Caesar's Salad where Caesar's Salad was invented. Right here.

As I start in, the waiter slips me a piece of paper. It lists a whole lot of cultural performances. Poetry, paintings, dance music, Hindu dance, Colombian meringue, cha cha cha, electronic music, songs by a singer named "Midnight."

"Here, tonight?"

"Sí, Señor," says the waiter, Pedro. "Every Wednesday in the fall season."

I sit down in a big black booth. Now I see this was meant to be. The menu says César Cardini created the first Caesar's Salad in October 1924. Exactly 80 years ago this month. I look under "Soups and Salads." Aha. Caesar's Salad, $6.00; with grilled chicken breast, $8.00. I settle for the straight salad and an iced tea ($2.00).

Sponsored
Sponsored

I could have had steaks, fish, or lobster, but they're nearer the 12-, 15-, 20-dollar range. Still, I see they have some other items I could afford. The hamburger, with fries and salad, for $5.00; enchiladas with rice, beans, guacamole, $5.00; and different Mexican combination dishes that go for five or six bucks.

Pedro arrives with chips and salsa and the iced tea, served in a plastic tulip glass. I sit chomping, slurping, and looking around, wondering about all these poets and artists. The place used to be a big hangout for matadors and movie stars, and it still has some of that elegance. Kind of like the U.S. Grant. Roman Empire. Fluted gold columns, busts of gods, goddesses, whatever, delicate pyramids of upturned champagne glasses, Turkish carpets on the floor, and at each table, an Art Nouveau brass sculpture lamp. Mine has a gal lying down, holding up the actual lamp in her outstretched hands. Beautiful. Behind the bar they have a big photo of Paul McCartney, sipping a margarita with his second wife, Heather Mills. Jorge, the manager, says they're the latest in a long line of celebs that dates back to Al Capone.

I notice people are starting to turn up. Ché Guevara--looking guys wearing berets, paintings in hand, plus notebooks and musical instruments. This could be interesting.

Naturally, right now, soccer rules.

"Gooaall!"

The TV announcer takes another deep breath.

"Goooo-aaallllll!"

"Mexico's playing Trinidad-Tobago," says Pedro. "World Series. We just went one up."

He has rolled up a cart laden with salad and...stuff. All right. The show starts here.

"Señor César Cardini invented this 80 years ago," he says. "We keep strictly to his recipe, and his preparation."

Wow. Hadn't expected this. Pedro positions a molded-wood bowl. "First, anchoa," he says. He lifts three anchovies from a saucer, drops them in the wooden bowl. He drips a lime over them, then grinds some pepper. Now he takes the back of a spoon and squeezes them until they're mush.

"Aceite de oliva," he says and pours out the golden oil from a small bottle. "Vinagre." He splashes wine vinegar, then mustard, then "Salsa Inglésa" -- Lea and Perrin's Worcestershire sauce -- and a few healthy teaspoons of chopped garlic into the mix. He squishes it all together till the wooden bowl glistens.

"And now: huevo." I notice an egg has been lolling in a bowl of hot water.

"It must warm for one minute only," he says.

Pedro takes the egg out, chops off the end, and lets the white slide out. Next he glops the yolk into the bowl, mixes that in, adds a clutch of toasted croutons, then brings up a plate with nine giant lettuce leaves. "Romaine," he says, "and always the corazón. The heart of the lettuce. Never the outside leaves."

He swirls the sauce around them, then lays them out on an oval plate, sprinkles them with Parmesan cheese, one final fling of pepper, and voilá!

"If you don't like it, you pay nothing," he says. "If you do, you pay double."

Right. I chomp in. Oh, yeah. The anchovy and olive taste comes through, and with the hot bread rolls, it's nice and filling. Next time, I'd pay the two bucks extra for the grilled chicken, just to give it more stomach-filling heft.

But right now the place is filling up. It's artists' night. I'm a little in awe. The guy sitting on my right is Angel ValRa, a painter. He's exhibited in France, the States, UCSD, everywhere. On my left León Rhon. He's been painting 21 years. He's the cousin of the mayor elect. Antonio Quinterón is a portrait guy. Shows me work he's done of everyone from President Fox to his own dad.

"Something's happening here at Caesar's," says León. "This is becoming a place for philosophers, for artists. A kind of Bohemian café."

Carmen, the lady organizing the evening, comes up. "Would you like a glass of wine? It's free tonight."

That's it. I'm here. Free wine, Hindu dancing, poetry, Colombian music. Just as well La Voz del Pueblo is open 24 hours.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Best Sports Betting Sites - 10 Online Sportsbooks Ranked for 2024

Best Sports Betting Sites (2024) - Reviews of TOP Online Sportsbooks

Oh, man. Avenida Revolución is hurting. It's around eight on a Wednesday night, and only three clubs are thumping. The rest, blacked. Is it Homeland Security? I'm heading for the little store La Voz del Pueblo to get my buddy Cisco some cigarettes. (Tigres.) Except I feel peckish. "Special tonight," says this guy outside Caesar's hotel. I've always liked the creamy, castley old building. So what the heck. I decide to do something I've never done before: eat a Caesar's Salad where Caesar's Salad was invented. Right here.

As I start in, the waiter slips me a piece of paper. It lists a whole lot of cultural performances. Poetry, paintings, dance music, Hindu dance, Colombian meringue, cha cha cha, electronic music, songs by a singer named "Midnight."

"Here, tonight?"

"Sí, Señor," says the waiter, Pedro. "Every Wednesday in the fall season."

I sit down in a big black booth. Now I see this was meant to be. The menu says César Cardini created the first Caesar's Salad in October 1924. Exactly 80 years ago this month. I look under "Soups and Salads." Aha. Caesar's Salad, $6.00; with grilled chicken breast, $8.00. I settle for the straight salad and an iced tea ($2.00).

Sponsored
Sponsored

I could have had steaks, fish, or lobster, but they're nearer the 12-, 15-, 20-dollar range. Still, I see they have some other items I could afford. The hamburger, with fries and salad, for $5.00; enchiladas with rice, beans, guacamole, $5.00; and different Mexican combination dishes that go for five or six bucks.

Pedro arrives with chips and salsa and the iced tea, served in a plastic tulip glass. I sit chomping, slurping, and looking around, wondering about all these poets and artists. The place used to be a big hangout for matadors and movie stars, and it still has some of that elegance. Kind of like the U.S. Grant. Roman Empire. Fluted gold columns, busts of gods, goddesses, whatever, delicate pyramids of upturned champagne glasses, Turkish carpets on the floor, and at each table, an Art Nouveau brass sculpture lamp. Mine has a gal lying down, holding up the actual lamp in her outstretched hands. Beautiful. Behind the bar they have a big photo of Paul McCartney, sipping a margarita with his second wife, Heather Mills. Jorge, the manager, says they're the latest in a long line of celebs that dates back to Al Capone.

I notice people are starting to turn up. Ché Guevara--looking guys wearing berets, paintings in hand, plus notebooks and musical instruments. This could be interesting.

Naturally, right now, soccer rules.

"Gooaall!"

The TV announcer takes another deep breath.

"Goooo-aaallllll!"

"Mexico's playing Trinidad-Tobago," says Pedro. "World Series. We just went one up."

He has rolled up a cart laden with salad and...stuff. All right. The show starts here.

"Señor César Cardini invented this 80 years ago," he says. "We keep strictly to his recipe, and his preparation."

Wow. Hadn't expected this. Pedro positions a molded-wood bowl. "First, anchoa," he says. He lifts three anchovies from a saucer, drops them in the wooden bowl. He drips a lime over them, then grinds some pepper. Now he takes the back of a spoon and squeezes them until they're mush.

"Aceite de oliva," he says and pours out the golden oil from a small bottle. "Vinagre." He splashes wine vinegar, then mustard, then "Salsa Inglésa" -- Lea and Perrin's Worcestershire sauce -- and a few healthy teaspoons of chopped garlic into the mix. He squishes it all together till the wooden bowl glistens.

"And now: huevo." I notice an egg has been lolling in a bowl of hot water.

"It must warm for one minute only," he says.

Pedro takes the egg out, chops off the end, and lets the white slide out. Next he glops the yolk into the bowl, mixes that in, adds a clutch of toasted croutons, then brings up a plate with nine giant lettuce leaves. "Romaine," he says, "and always the corazón. The heart of the lettuce. Never the outside leaves."

He swirls the sauce around them, then lays them out on an oval plate, sprinkles them with Parmesan cheese, one final fling of pepper, and voilá!

"If you don't like it, you pay nothing," he says. "If you do, you pay double."

Right. I chomp in. Oh, yeah. The anchovy and olive taste comes through, and with the hot bread rolls, it's nice and filling. Next time, I'd pay the two bucks extra for the grilled chicken, just to give it more stomach-filling heft.

But right now the place is filling up. It's artists' night. I'm a little in awe. The guy sitting on my right is Angel ValRa, a painter. He's exhibited in France, the States, UCSD, everywhere. On my left León Rhon. He's been painting 21 years. He's the cousin of the mayor elect. Antonio Quinterón is a portrait guy. Shows me work he's done of everyone from President Fox to his own dad.

"Something's happening here at Caesar's," says León. "This is becoming a place for philosophers, for artists. A kind of Bohemian café."

Carmen, the lady organizing the evening, comes up. "Would you like a glass of wine? It's free tonight."

That's it. I'm here. Free wine, Hindu dancing, poetry, Colombian music. Just as well La Voz del Pueblo is open 24 hours.

Comments
Sponsored
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Angry Pete’s goes from pop-up to drive-thru

Detroit Pizza sidles into the husk of a shuttered Taco Bell
Next Article

Top Websites To Buy Instagram Likes + Bonus Tip!

Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.