North America  / Mexico / Tijuana

By Eduardo Guiarte

Internationally famous “Caesar Salad” was created in the small border town of Tijuana, Mexico.  Many persons are surprised when they first hear this fact.  I confess that when I first heard it, it made me wonder.  Dancing the night away, a healthy sexual appetite and a good meal are gifts from the Gods. Was the story true?  As an amateur chef, I needed to know the whole story. So off I go on a flight to San Diego, with plans to cross the border on foot.

I just got off my flight and am in my Uber.  We are heading for the border crossing station.  My driver is a talkative Anglo-Saxon, elderly gentleman.  He knows the restaurant and tells me of the great Caesar Salad and that they have a mean Beef Wellington.  The driver tells me that it is now in a hotel, on the Avenida Revolucion.  “Oh you will have a great meal and not break the bank”, says my driver.

That was enough for me to make my reservation and requested to interview someone who could speak for the house.  We are greeted by Josue Corral, the captain.  Jossue sat down and told us the story.  The story starts with some aviators who showed up late one night and are told that they did not have anything available.

They ask Caesar Cardini if he could put anything together for them as they were starving.  Mr. Cardini went into creative mode and blended some garlic, anchovies, Dijon Mustard, Worcester Sauce, black pepper, the yolk of an egg, lemon juice, olive oil, crutons and some parmesan cheese.  The Romaine lettuce leaves were then swiped through the blended sauce and the result was a total success.

Everyone loved the creation and whenever they returned they would request the same salad.  The salad became known as “The Aviator’s Salad.”

You cannot tell the story of Caesar Salad without speaking of one of the most controversial figures in English history, Wallis Simpson aka Duchess of Windsor.  Bessie Wallis Warfield was born some 70 miles from Baltimore.  Wallis’ stepfather was the son of a prominent Democratic Party Boss.  Wallis was able to attend the most expensive girl’s school in Maryland.  At the school Wallis befriended Renee du Pont, of the famous du Pont’s.

Wallis developed social aspirations.  Her first marriage was with Earl Winfield Spencer Jr. (aka Win), a Navy aviator. There is talk of heavy drinking by Win.  Wallis is said to have had an affair with an Argentine diplomat, Felipe de Espil.  Wallis is also said to have had an affair with Count Galeazzo Ciano, Mussolini’s son-in-law, and became pregnant.  It is said that a botched abortion left Wallis infertile.  In 1927 the divorce was finalized.

The second marriage came seven months after her divorce.  Wallis married Ernest Aldrich Simpson.  Both Ernest and Wallis were diligent in climbing the British social latter.  It is said that they lived beyond their means.  At a house party they met Edward, Prince of Wales.

Edward was reputed with having an affair with Lady Furness a friend of Wallis.  While Lady Furness was in New York, Wallis and Edward started having an affair.  Ernest looked the other way while the affair was going on.  The local press would ignore the rumors, but not so the international press.

Wallis became the most hated woman in the British Empire.  Edward VIII ascended to become king of England.  Edward would not break his relationship with Wallis and wanted her to be granted the HRM (Her Royal Majesty.) Wallis could only be addressed as “Your Grace” as she was not accepted as true royalty.

Winston Churchill fought bitterly and argued that Edward was the head of Anglican Church, The Defender of the Faith, and that Edward owed sacrifice to his people, who would never accept Wallis as their Queen.  Wallis was hailed as an American whore who would not leave their king alone.  After 11 months on the throne, Edward abdicated the throne to his brother, who became King George VI.

The third marriage was with Edward VIII.  Had an affair with Jimmy Donahue, heir to the Woolworth fortune and who was said to be a notorious homosexual.

Photo with Richard Nixon – then Hitler – then with the Queen Elizabeth who blamed her for her husbands death.

In the book it was hailed as the greatest love affair in the world.  It is said that in the notebooks of Anne Seagrim, secretary to the royal couple, Edward asked Wallis to break off her affair with reputed promiscuous homosexual Jimmy Donahue, heir to the Woolworth fortune.  19 years her junior.

The grandson of millionaire Frank W. Woolworth, Says Charles Higham in his book that on March 18, 1946 Jimmy and his pals took a number of sailors, soldiers and Marines to his mother’s apartment.  Theere they stripped a GI naked and began to shave his body hair using an old fashion razor.  It is said that accidentally Jimmy castraded the soldier.  Jimmy’s mother is said to have paid close to a quarter of a million dollars to drop the charges and Jimmy fled to Mexico for two years.

At one time I came to the understanding that you don’t need to be a great writer to gain fame.  You can write about famous people who will promote your book about them. In a way this is how this wonderful dish got its start.  Famous people flee from prohibition and drink to their hearts content just crossing the border, Tijuana, Mexico.

It was chick and fashionable.  Wallis was the ambassador for this dish.  Wallis Simpson a highly controversial personality who while still married was said to be the lover of the King of England, Edward VIII.  Many Brits hailed her with hatred as the American Whore who stole their king.  Edward VIII abdicated when confronted with the reality that his people would not accept Wallis as their Queen.

Being the personality that Wallis was, she visited the most famous restaurants around the world, Paris, London, New York, Buenos Aires, and Wallis always liked to be involved with cuisine and would personally instruct the Chef as to how she wanted the meals prepared.  Well every famous chef had to learn to make Caesar Salad, by the Royal Command of Wallis Simpson.

Love Story Book changed the publics reaction to the couple.  Wallis was received as royalty in Baltimore,

Tried to work things out with Hitler and was received.  His brother did not appreciate and was seen as interfering.  The Queen had visited Roosevelt and the alliance was made between the USA and England.  Most hated woman in England.

Before, during and after suspected of being Nazi sympathizers.  Was suspected of passing information on the Nazis.  They asked them to leave France when they visited.

Necesitiy or accident, july 4^th, 1924 group of pilots and there was nothing to offer them.  They asked the chef, Caesar Cardini.  It then became known as the “salad of the flyers”.  La ensalada de los aviadores.

In the 30’s Cardini baptized it with his name. Dry law in USA, and people went to TJ andCaesars they spread the word.  A lot of famous people would go to Tijuana, it was a place where you could get away from prohibition.  Wallis Simpson, went and she wrote the recipe and wherever she went Wallis would make all the chefs prepare it the way she learned from Mr. Cardini.  Since 2^nd street, 1916.  In 1927 they moved location.

Avoid the restrictions of prohibition. Fashionable among Hollywood and other celebrities.  the Cardini’s brand was sold, and is now owned by the T. Marzetti specialty salad dressing company. It is still popular and offers more than a dozen varieties of the original recipe.

Caesar Cardini, a famed restaurateur who, according to lore, invented the dish in Tijuana, Mexico, in 1924 when a rush of diners on the Fourth of July strained his kitchen’s resources and he had to make do with whatever ingredients were left on hand.

Restaurantecaesar http://caesarstijuana.com/