Hail, Wilson! New Law Lets Restaurants Put Raw Egg in Caesar Salad

Gov. Pete Wilson rode to the rescue of Caesar salad lovers Monday, signing legislation allowing restaurants to serve the salads with raw eggs in the dressing if the diner doesn’t object.

The bill, by Assemblywoman Carole Migden (D-San Francisco), amends a statute that took effect this year and set minimum cooking standards for restaurant food.

Migden’s bill allows restaurants to serve raw or partly cooked eggs as an ingredient in a salad or other dish if the customer is told that the food contains the ingredient and doesn’t object.

Raw eggs are a traditional part of Caesar salads, a mixture of greens, grated cheese, anchovies, croutons and other ingredients that was named after Caesar Gardini, the restaurateur who first served it. The dressing includes raw or partly cooked eggs.

The new law takes effect immediately.