21'S CAESAR SALAD

Serves 4-6

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A traditional version, from executive chef Erik Blauberg. If you prefer to not eat raw eggs, use pasteurized eggs.

1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced

2 egg yolks

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 cup virgin olive oil

2 anchovy fillets, chopped

1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

Kosher salt to taste

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup toasted croutons

2 heads romaine hearts (cleaned and chopped into 1-inch pieces)

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese shavings

Mash the garlic into a large wooden bowl with a wooden spoon, to "flavor" the bowl.

Combine the egg yolks, mustard, lemon juice and Worcestershire. Whisk well.

Slowly add the olive oil while whisking to produce a smooth, creamy emulsion.

Add the anchovies and Tabasco sauce, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Add 1 cup Parmesan cheese, and stir. Pour dressing into a bottle. Pour 1/2 cup of dressing into a clean wooden bowl. Add croutons to the dressing; stir and coat them. Add romaine, and gently stir until lightly coated. Add extra dressing as needed. Plate salad and garnish with shaved Parmesan. Season with fresh ground pepper to taste.

Serve immediately.

ROBERTS CAESAR SALAD FROM JEAN-LUC

Serves 4-6

From executive chef Julio Quisbert

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons mustard

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

3 anchovy fillets, well-drained and minced

1/2 cup red-wine vinegar

1 1/2 cup corn oil

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

2 packages romaine hearts

1/2 pound fried calamari

Place the eggs, mustard, garlic, anchovy fillets and red-wine vinegar into a mixing bowl and whisk vigorously to combine. Slowly whisk in the oil, beating until the mixture is the consistency of mayonnaise. Add the Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Taste and adjust the seasonings by adding extra salt and pepper if needed. Store, covered, in the refrigerator. Toss romaine with calamari and dressing and serve.

FRIED CALAMARI

Serves 4

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

1/4 cup milk

1/2 pound fresh calamari

Oil for deep-frying

Salt to taste

Combine the flour and the spices in a bowl. Marinate the calamari in milk for 2 hours. Drain the calamari and toss with the flour mixture. Deep-fry in hot oil for 3 minutes until golden brown. Season with salt.

TOWN'S WARM CAESAR SALAD WITH WHITE- ANCHOVY DRESSING

Serves 4

From executive chef John Johnson, this one is garnished with pancetta. Though the chef uses the hard-to-find green puntarelle, it's equally good with a blend of romaine and escarole. Find yuzu juice, made from the sour Japanese citrus fruit, in Asian groceries.

For the dressing:

1 egg yolk

8 garlic cloves

1/4 cup yuzu juice

8 white-anchovy fillets

1/4 cup red-wine vinegar

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup canola oil

1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 dash Tabasco sauce

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the salad and garnish:

1/2 head romaine

1/2 head escarole

2 slices pancetta or country-style bacon, diced

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

To make the dressing, combine the egg yolk, garlic cloves, yuzu juice, anchovy fillets, vinegar and Parmesan cheese in the work bowl of a food processor. Puree until smooth. With the machine still running, drizzle in the canola and olive oil to create a thick, mayonnaise-style dressing. Season with Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, salt and pepper. (If the dressing becomes too thick, thin it out with a little warm water).

To make the salad, wash greens. Dry thoroughly and tear into bite-size pieces. Heat an iron skillet or other heavy pan on high. Add pancetta. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring often, until crisp and lightly browned. Drain well on paper towels.

Place the lettuce in a bowl with the Parmesan and about 1/4 cup of dressing. Season with salt and fresh pepper to taste, and toss well to combine. Add pancetta and as much dressing as you like. Toss and serve immediately.

TAJ'S CAESAR SALAD

Serves 4-6

From executive chef Jonathan Lindenaur, this has fried chickpeas in place of croutons, and panir instead of Parmesan.

1/2 cup red-wine vinegar

4 tablespoons tahini

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons shallot, chopped

2 tablespoons garlic, chopped

1 tablespoon ginger, chopped

1/3 cup honey

2 tablespoons coriander seed, ground

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 cups canola oil

Salt and cayenne pepper

8 cups baby romaine, washed and crisped

For garnish:

1 cup canned chickpeas

Vegetable oil for frying

Salt, garam masala and cayenne pepper

1 cup shaved panir cheese

To make the dressing, combine the vinegar, tahini, mustard, shallot, garlic, ginger, honey, coriander seed and lemon juice in a blender. Blend until smooth. Slowly add the oil until emulsified. Season with salt and cayenne pepper.

Rinse and drain the chickpeas. Fry in preheated, 375-degree oil until golden brown.

Drain well, then season with salt, garam masala and a pinch of cayenne. Toss romaine with as much dressing as you like. (Refrigerate the remaining dressing.) Divide salad among serving plates. Garnish each with fried chickpeas and 1/4 cup panir.