The Caesar salad is simple to make: mix romaine lettuce, croutons, Parmesan cheese and a special Caesar dressing in a bowl and serve. In 1924, a busy restaurant in Tijuana, Mexico, was the first to make this popular salad.

History
After World War I, two brothers, Alessandro and Caesar Cardini, from Italy came to San Diego, California. They sought to open a restaurant together and they did so in Tijauna, Mexico. By opening a restaurant in Tijuana they could avoid the U.S. prohibition laws.

Theories/Speculation
Caesar Cardini's daughter, Rosa, claims the chef was running low on ingredients during a busy weekend in July. Wanting to continue to please his clientele, Cardini threw together the ingredients for the salad on a whim. Supposedly, he mixed and served the salad tableside to impress his guests.

Famous Ties
The salad became astonishingly popular, as many American customers came to Cardini's restaurant for the salad and to evade prohibition. A trip to Tijuana for Cardini's Caesar Salad became a new fad, and Hollywood film stars such as Clark Gable, Jean Harlow and W. C. Fields routinely visited the restaurant. Since then, the salad has become a staple appetizer or meal.