The Search for the Great Caesar

Toby M. Horn of Los Angeles writes that he cannot find a decent Caesar salad--”Just a simple Caesar that reeks of garlic,” specifies Horn. “I want to breathe garlic for two days after.” Other musts, Horn adds: “Anchovies mashed into the dressing, not those dyspeptic little fish that are laid on top of an ersatz Caesar only to be picked off by the fainthearted”; and “homemade croutons made from yesterday’s French bread, not that hermetically sealed kibble that passes for croutons.” The ideal Caesar, in Horn’s book, was that prepared by the long-defunct House of Murphy on San Vicente near La Cienega. He wonders, can any L.A. restaurant do as well today?

I sympathize with Horn’s search for a great Caesar, and must admit that it isn’t an easy dish to find. Probably the best classic (if not necessarily “authentic”) Caesar in town is still at Chasen’s, which prepares its salad table-side, with a coddled egg. A good everyday Caesar, full of garlic and mashed anchovies (or maybe anchovy paste) is served at the West Beach Cafe in Venice--though they de-Caesar it a bit by adding a couple of tomato slices. Other than that, though I’ve had good Caesars here and there, I can’t think of any place in the area that consistently prepares the dish well. I’d be glad to hear from readers who have their own favorites, though.

BUSH PLATE SPECIAL--George Bush defeated Michael Dukakis for president by a margin of almost three to one. Uh, according to a Nation’s Restaurant News phone survey of food-industry professionals, that is. Bush won 353 votes from the restaurant trade, while Dukakis scored 127. Libertarian candidate Ron Paul received six votes, and Richard Nixon and Gary Hart (who?) scored one apiece. According to NRN, those who supported Bush said they thought he would be better for business in general, while Dukakis, they feel, would boost the minimum wage and taxes . . . The other “big news” from that publication: Hopper’s Dining Car, a 1920s-style diner will open in Chicago’s new Bloomingdale’s complex. “The name,” adds NRN helpfully, “is inspired by a famous painting of a diner scene by American artist Dennis Hopper.” You know. The guy who paints on blue velvet.

MEALS ON WHEELS--L.A.’s annual American Wine & Food Festival, which benefits local chapters of Meals on Wheels, is, from a purely hedonistic point of view, the best such event in town--the one with the best group of chefs (many of them from out of Los Angeles) cooking the best assortment of food to the accompaniment of the best bunch of wines. The sixth annual celebration of the festival will be held Sept. 17 from 6 p.m., on Universal Studios’ back lot. Participating chefs and restaurateurs this time include Paul Prudhomme, Alice Waters, Jeremiah Tower, Jimmy Schmidt, Larry Forgione, Dean Fearing, Mark Miller, and Jonathan Waxman, plus our own Piero Selvaggio and Angelo Auriana (Valentino and Primi), George Morrone (Hotel Bel-Air), and, of course, Wolfgang Puck (Spago and Chinois on Main)--who started the festival to begin with. Tickets are $150 per person, and further information is available from Pamela Slate at (213) 652-3706.

CLOSINGS--Fiasco, one of the original Marina del Rey restaurants, closes on Labor Day for extensive remodeling, and will reopen in January. . . . La Toque in West Hollywood--which, as previously reported in this column, will close for extensive remodeling of its own this fall--remains open in its present form at least until mid-October. La Toque owner/chef Ken Frank is currently offering a special Summer Harvest menu, including appetizer, pasta, a choice of main dishes and dessert, at $36 per person.

OPENINGS--Drew’s/An American Cafe has debuted in Encino, with an American and Continental menu. Owner/chef Drew Wendelken used to cook at his family’s restaurant, The Country House, in old Stoney Brook, Long Island. . . . And Jacopo’s Pizza of Beverly Hills has opened a new location on Olympic in West L.A.