1905 Salad from Columbia Restaurant

This 1905 Salad was made famous by Columbia Restaurant in Tampa, FL. Loaded with ham, Swiss cheese, olives, and tomatoes in a killer garlic dressing, you can now make this incredible salad at home!

This 1905 Salad, made famous by Columbia restaurant, combines ham, swiss, Parmesan, and the best garlic dressing for a salad worthy of a main course!

Columbia 1905 Salad: A Dish Worth Traveling For

Vacations look a little different for us since we added two kids to our family. We used to spend our vacations sleeping in and checking out the hottest spots in the local food scene; now there’s a lot more early morning walks and ham and cheese sandwiches on the beach.

I love traveling with our kids, but when my parents offered to watch them for a day while we were in Florida, I knew we had to take advantage of it. A few blogger friends recommended Columbia restaurant for a nice dinner out, so the Mr. and I got all dolled up and headed straight there.

The Columbia is rather famous in the Tampa area. It’s been family owned and operated since 1905, and has been visited by the likes of Babe Ruth, Marilyn Monroe and George Clooney. The menu reads like a history book, and is dotted with black and white pictures of the family next to recipes passed down for generations.

There’s a story behind almost every item on the menu, which made it harder than usual for me to decide what to get. I asked the waiter for a recommendation, picked a few things, and hoped for the best.

This 1905 salad, which combines ham, swiss and garlic dressing, is worthy of a main dish!

Incredible 1905 Salad Recipe

What we got was a truly delicious and amazing experience from beginning to end. The table side sangria and seafood entrees were both incredible, but the most memorable part of the meal was the salad. I know. That never happens.

But their 1905 Salad, which combines julienned ham and Swiss cheese, olives, Romano cheese, and a garlic lemon dressing, was truly spectacular. Served alongside Columbia’s warm, homemade Cuban bread with generous slatherings of butter, it was the highlight or our dinner.

Made famous by Columbia restaurant, this 1905 Salad with ham, swiss, and garlic dressing is worthy of all its fame!

1905 Salad Recipe Ingredients

When we got home, I knew I was going to have to recreate the salad. I looked up their website, and low and behold, they’re gracious enough to actually share the recipe on their site! I switched a few things out based on our tastes, but left most of it as is.

To make the 1905 Salad, you’ll need:

  • Iceberg or romaine lettuce
  • Ripe tomato
  • Thinly sliced ham
  • Thinly sliced Swiss cheese
  • Green Spanish olives
  • Parmesan or Romano cheese

1905 Salad Dressing (IE: The BEST Garlic Vinaigrette Recipe)

The 1905 salad isn’t complete without their special homemade dressing. It starts out as a basic vinaigrette, but two ingredients really set it apart!

To make the dressing, you’ll need:

  • Garlic cloves
  • Olive Oil (it’s worth it to splurge on the good stuff for this recipe!)
  • Oregano
  • White Wine Vinegar
  • Lemon
  • Worcestershire sauce
  • Salt and pepper

You probably can already guess what the secret ingredients are! It’s all about the lemon juice and Worcestershire. The worcestershire adds an incredible savory component that balances the lemon juice and vinegar nicely. I never would’ve thought to add Worcestershire to a salad dressing, but it’s SO GOOD!

At the restaurant, they dress the salad table side, adding the lemon juice and Worcestershire at the very end. I found it works fine to mix these two ingredients into the dressing beforehand, but the flavor is best when the dressing is made ahead of time and can be refrigerated for at least an hour before serving.

This 1905 Salad with ham, swiss cheese, olives, and garlic dressing is a main course event!

How to Make 1905 Salad

  1. To make the dressing, whisk together the garlic, olive oil, and oregano in a medium bowl. Add the white wine vinegar and whisk thoroughly, until an emulsion forms. Whisk in the lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce. Refrigerate overnight or for at least one hour. Before serving, whisk thoroughly and season to taste with salt and pepper.
  2. To make the salad, tear the lettuce into bite sized pieces. Tearing keeps it from browning as quickly.
  3. Toss together the lettuce, chopped tomato, chopped ham, chopped Swiss cheese, and olives slices in a large bowl.
  4. Toss the dressing with the salad greens until well coated. Sprinkle with grated cheese. Serve immediately.

Tangy, fresh, garlicky, and filling, you can easily turn this salad into a main course (or multiple main courses if you’re like me and want to eat it every single day). Feel free to omit the ham and make it vegetarian if you prefer.

Toss this one together on a weeknight andย serve it with some excellent bread. It’s a meal you won’t soon forget!

More Salad Recipes

This 1905 Salad, made famous by Columbia restaurant, combines ham, swiss, Parmesan, and the best garlic dressing for a salad worthy of a main course!

1905 Salad

Yield: 4
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

This garlicky 1905 Salad is an incredible ham and Swiss salad recipe made famous by Columbia restaurant in Tampa, FL.

Ingredients

  • 4 cups torn iceberg romaine lettuce
  • 1 ripe tomato, cut into eighths
  • 1/2 cup (about a 1/4 lb) thinly sliced baked ham
  • 1/2 cup (about 4 slices) thinly sliced Swiss cheese
  • 1/2 cup pimiento-stuffed green Spanish olives
  • 1/2 cup grated Romano cheese (Parmesan is a good substitute)

For the dressing:

  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 2 Tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. To make the dressing, whisk together the garlic, olive oil, and oregano in a medium bowl. Add the white wine vinegar and whisk thoroughly, until an emulsion forms. Whisk in the lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce. Refrigerate overnight or for at least one hour. Before serving, whisk thoroughly and season to taste with salt and pepper.
  2. To make the salad, toss together the lettuce, tomato, ham, Swiss cheese, and olives in a large bowl. Toss the dressing with the salad greens until well coated. Sprinkle with grated cheese. Serve immediately.

Did you make this recipe?

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