The 1981 Salad or The 1905 Salad or The Best Salad Ever!

 Whether you remember this as the 1905 Salad from The Columbia or the 1981 Salad from Chef Art Smith's Homecomin', I only know it as the Best Salad Ever! The robust, tangy dressing is the actual star of this salad, which also includes lettuce, ham, cheese, tomatoes, and artichokes.

One of our favorite restaurants, Chef Art Smith's Homecomin' at Disney Springs, is where we enjoyed supper on our most recent trip to Walt Disney World. Almost every vacation we eat there since the cuisine is consistently good and the ambiance is enjoyable. But this time, I saw something new on the menu—the 1981 Salad.

Described on the menu as “chopped iceberg and spring mix lettuce, honey ham, roasted artichoke, tomato, Swiss cheese and Spanish olives. The secret is in the sauce with Worcestershire, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and vinegar. Chef Art’s nod to the Tampa classic.” Now, the Tampa institution to which it alludes is the 1905 Salad, which rose to fame at the Columbia Restaurant in Ybor City. The Columbia is a famous eatery that is the oldest Spanish restaurant in America and the oldest continuously running restaurant in Florida. It occupies almost an entire city block and has 1,700 seats, making it one of the biggest Spanish restaurants in the entire world. Having said that, I had the 1905 Salad when I was in Tampa for a college conference and I loved it to pieces. Therefore, I was certain that I had to try Chef Art's rendition, which he gave the moniker of in tribute to his very first Disney cast member role in the Magic Kingdom College Program back in 1981. 

It was even better than I remembered! This isn't just a tiny side salad, however. There are many toppings on it. But what really sets this salad apart is the precise mixture of ingredients and the strong, flavorful dressing. And while Worcestershire sauce provides the dressing its distinctive flavor, the flavor spike comes from the garlic. It's the kind of salad that will make you want to chew gum or breath mints later, but it's totally worth it! 

Since Orlando and Tampa are both more than 8 hours away, I decided I had to make the recipe at home so I could enjoy this delicacy whenever I wanted. I was lucky to find the Columbia's recipe on their website, which gave me a head start. In all honesty, not much needed to be done. I increased the vinegar to give it more zing because Chef Art's dressing is far more delicious and sour than the original version. 

While the original recipe just calls for iceberg, Chef Art's rendition also includes some spring mix. He also included artichokes, which I believe was a wonderful move because they are one of my favorite vegetables and provide a ton of flavor. Additionally, I added extra toppings to my dish because I believe his salad has more toppings overall. 

The Columbia does not use Worcestershire or lemon in the dressing. These are included when the dressing is tossed at the table. I did the same as Homecomin' and added those things to the dressing to make it a little easier. You can add it when serving for a more genuine experience. I created my version to resemble Chef Art's more closely. 

So when it came time to give my recipe a name, I knew I wanted to both honor the original while also making it clear that it was a ripoff of Chef Art's. And since I couldn't decide on a name for it, I chose to give it all of them!

Ingredients

For the dressing:

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

For the salad:

• 1 head iceberg lettuce, washed and roughly chopped
• 2 tomatoes, sliced into wedges
• 1 cup julienned swiss cheese
• 1 cup julienned smoked ham
• 1/2 cup green olives with pimentos
• 1 cup quartered marinated artichokes, each sliced in half
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, combine the Worcestershire sauce, oregano, garlic, and olive oil to make the dressing. Whisk quickly as you gradually include the vinegar to produce an emulsion. Continue whisking after adding the lemon juice. To taste, add salt and pepper. The amounts are only guidelines. Use right away or wait for the flavors to meld in the fridge.
2. When it's time to create the salad, combine the artichokes, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, ham, and green olives in a big bowl. Once more, whisk the dressing. Toss to coat after adding the desired amount of dressing. Remix after adding the Romano cheese. Serve right away.