On Caesar Salads, Popovers & Normandy Kitchen

I eat a disgusting number of Caesar salads. They’re one of my top three favorite foods.

I still ordered Caesar salads through romaine lettuce scares, 1, 2, and even 3. A Caesar salad-related death would actually be fitting for me.

Years ago when I worked at a restaurant, we went around naming the food we would choose if we could only choose one to have unlimited supply for the rest of our life.

I exclaimed “Romaine Lettuce!” and everyone thought I was nuts.

My favorite Caesar salads are made with a creamy dressing. But not the pre-made kind from industrial tubs. I can sniff out the jarred stuff in a second. And anchovies are always available upon request.

The Caesar salad I loved the most is from the recently closed Spoonriver (the dressing is also in the cookbook).

Normandy Kitchen is a strange little restaurant located inside the Best Western (Plus) in Downtown Minneapolis. On the outside, Best Western mostly looks like you’d expect a Best Western look – but its lobby and restaurant have a glamorous, old-school vibe and charm. Almost like you fell back in time.

The chef offers a French forward menu with dishes like Nicoise salad, Beef Bourguignon and Steak Au Poivre Frites. “Everything is homemade,” the bartender explained with pride.

The Caesar Salad here is A+. The dressing reminds of Spoonriver’s. It’s creamy and super punchy with garlic. The croutons tasted slightly sweet, like they were made from brioche.

I think I’ve reached the age where you get really excited about popovers. For $3, you can add a big popover with honey butter.

The bartender described how a customer poked a hole into the popover, plopped the butter inside and shook it like a martini. This method makes sense, but personally, I’m a butter swiper.

Jake enjoyed the The Henry VIII Burger ($15 with your choice of frites or salad) – it was a decent, basic burger with homemade frites.

I can’t speak for the rest of the food or the cocktails, but the vibe is cool, the Caesar salad is above average, and you can order popovers.