The 1905 Salad isn’t nearly as old as 1905, but the restaurant where it comes from is. The Columbia Restaurant is Florida’s oldest restaurant, having debuted in Tampa’s Ybor City in 1905, although the salad wasn’t introduced until a few decades later. The 1905 Salad, invented by a waiter in the 1940s, was voted one of America’s Top Ten Best Salads by USA Today, and one bite of that savory, salty, crispy salad and creamy vinaigrette will persuade you that it well merits that distinction.

This is no light green salad. There are thick matchsticks of julienned ham and Swiss cheese, pimento-stuffed olives and artichoke hearts, and huge wedges of juicy tomato, as well as an extra helping of cheese in the form of finely grated Parmesan, but the dressing is what brings everything together. This is no light green salad. There are thick matchsticks of julienned ham and Swiss cheese, pimento-stuffed olives and artichoke hearts, and huge wedges of juicy tomato,

as well as an extra helping of cheese in the form of finely grated Parmesan, but the dressing is what brings everything together.See, the dressing isn’t a sissy dressing either. It’s not your typical vinaigrette; it has olive oil and vinegar, but also a generous amount of oregano, four cloves of garlic, and two heaping tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce.

The Worcestershire sauce adds a rich umami flavor to the dish, which I believe is what keeps you going back for more. And even more.Funny story: when the president of Lea and Perrins learned that The Columbia Restaurant was his biggest customer, he went to taste the salad for himself. He was hooked, as is anybody who tries this salad.

If you’ve had it before, you’ve probably wanted to have it again, and luckily for us, The Columbia Restaurant has made it simple for anyone to prepare it right in their own kitchen. No travel to Florida required!