Seattle Kitchen: Why the Canlis salad is a cherished tradition

BY Stephanie Klein  on April 13, 2012 @ 8:48 pm (Updated: 11:59 am - 4/16/12 )

The salad at Canlis restaurant has been a local tradition for about 60 years. So who better to talk about the recipe than Mark Canlis, the founder's grandson.

"It probably originates from my great grandmother, whose husband cooked for Teddy Roosevelt in Africa, of all places... It's an old recipe. We eat it at home, we eat it at the restaurant. We toss it tableside sometimes. It's just fun," Canlis tells Katie O with Seattle Kitchen on 97.3 KIRO FM Weekends.

While the foundation of the salad is Romaine, Canlis is adamant about not calling it a Cesar salad.

The reason for Romaine is "it is the right shape for the salad, it's full of flavor, it's a rich lettuce, it has the right texture, it has a lot of moisture in it," explains Canlis.

And he would know. He tells Katie he's been cutting up lettuce since he was a kid growing up in the restaurant. In fact, he has a trick to keep it tasting sweet. Cut off the end and let it sit for 24 hours, bleeding the bitter milky substance from the leaves.

Canlis is particular about slicing up the Romaine because "when you're eating a salad, it's no fun to have big chunks of lettuce hanging out of your mouth."

A good rule of thumb is one inch chunks, pretty much for all the ingredients in the famous salad. Also, cut out the stem and the leathery ends that often dry out.

As for the bacon, Canlis suggests any thick cut Applewood bacon you'd normally use to cook with. He prefers bacon from A&J Meats & Seafoods on Queen Anne.

Keep a close eye on your bacon. You don't want it floppy and you don't want it burnt to a crisp. Perfectly cooked bacon isn't a bad personal goal.

While Parmesan may be your "go to" cheese for a salad, Canlis says his family's tradition just doesn't taste right unless it's Romano. And to do it right, get a whole chunk and grate it over the salad.

"Crumbled does not work, it's gotta be grated."

Either crack open a sack of store-bought crutons or make your own. Canlis, of course, prefers the homemade variety with butter, not olive oil. Plus, he says it's such an easy task to grab an old loaf of bread and make a big supply.

The salad's herbs are important for Canlis and his family.

"My grandparents came from Greece and everything had mint and Oregano in it, and so does the salad," Canlis says.

Use way more than you'd think because you can't "over- mint" this salad. Cut up, into one inch squares, three to five tomatoes and chop up some green onion.

Canlis wants you to season a Koa wood serving bowl before throwing everything inside.

"You just want to take olive oil and a clove of garlic and just pour the olive oil in the bowl and with your fingers, just sort of mash the garlic in the wood of the bowl."

You can find the full recipe and dressing at Canlis.com

Seattle Kitchen can be heard on 97.3 KIRO FM Saturdays at 8am and Sundays at 10am or anytime at MyNorthwest.com On Demand.

Stephanie Klein, MyNorthwest.com Editor
Stephanie joined the MyNorthwest.com team in February 2008. She has built the site into a two-time National Edward R. Murrow Award winner (Best Radio Website 2010, 2012).
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Comments (13)


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  • ron prevost wrote...
    CANLIS ?????
    April 14, 2012 7:26 am
    thanks for blogging this to Bill Gates and a few others who might go there. Let me know next time I can drop in to Canlis for a quick lunch in my jeans.
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  • Ted Bundi wrote...
    The best salad
    April 14, 2012 10:45 am
    was the Cesar at the Maribeau at the top of the Sea First building.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • cb-renton wrote...
    Best Cesar Salad
    April 15, 2012 11:52 am
    The best cesar salads were at Johnny's in Tacoma or Rosellini's 410. Both had great cesar salads!!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • kata wrote...
    Thanks for the recipe
    April 15, 2012 12:36 pm
    Looks like pretty easy to get ingredients. I always seem to over-plant my lettuces. By the end of summer I never know what to do with all of it

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  • Citizen of Krazy Town wrote...
    I ate at Canlis exactly ONE time and will never go there again
    April 15, 2012 2:29 pm
    It was years ago, an anniversary dinner with my wife. I had made reservations weeks in advance and explained the special event and asked for a view table. When we got there, we were forced to wait and got a view table...OF THE PARKING LOT.

    After a mediocre dinner and wine flight the bill came immediately and the server would not leave my shoulder until I signed the slip. She was obviously looking to ensure I tipped and when she deemed it was adequate, ONLY THEN we were asked if we wanted to tour the restaurant. I was so disappointed with the whole experience I declined the tour and left to never return.

    I'm sure Canlis has its clique of clientele who love to pat themselves on the back for eating at such a venerated and stuck up place, but for my money I will stick with Daniels Broiler and the Met for a consistent experience where I am treated like a guest they want to see again.

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  • ron prevost wrote...
    WOW, a woman server. at CANLIS ???
    April 15, 2012 3:13 pm
    Guess they are getting PC, but servers still don't work minimum wage. .............. But, so called 'must do' places have been sliding for a long time. Don't even think about the Space Needle, except for the well overpriced view (OK, food never way much). .. Really, not much snob appeal, but give me a Keg prime rib or an Anthony's anything. .. Good food and RELAX.
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  • LouieLouie wrote...
    Canlis = Mad Men
    April 15, 2012 5:24 pm
    Not sure why all of the "HATERS" on here. Canlis is a gorgeous and gentile gem that has stood the test of time. There is a long list of overpriced restaurants in Seattle that promise more than they deliver. Canlis is expensive, a bit "clubby" but the value is always there.
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  • clevesside wrote...
    Back in the day....
    April 15, 2012 5:53 pm
    .... there was high-end Canlis at one end of Aurora before the bridge and low-end Dag's Burgers down the street aways. If you couldn't fit in one, you could in the other on a late night. And if you couldn't fit in either (that's by choice,of course), there was the 24-hour 13 Coins on Fairview. These days, hard to say what's "cherished" (c'mon here!) for chow and what isn't in Seattle.
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  • bigbigmama wrote...
    Canlis
    April 15, 2012 6:07 pm
    i had the pleasure to work there - this was back in the 90's before the kiddo's took over. at the time - best job ever. i can say that even as an employee who got to glimpse behind the curtain, every time I walked into the place, there was magic. I learned so much from the maestro at the front desk and the ladies who deftly served. Customer service is an underrated art. These folks were masterful. I make this salad often at home and can say that no 2 are alike. Each table side service was a testament to the one making it. A little more lemon on this one, a bit more mint on that one. Best salad ever. I am sorry to anyone who had a bad experience there because I know the emphasis was on magic when I was there. Aside from the sacred table 1, I know we tried to give everyone who entered the best spot and experience possible. BTW - I do not know of any table view looking at the parking lot so whoever wrote that is grossly exaggerating - and I had the job of selling the worst tables in the house - which were not so bad - so I think I know.
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  • Citizen of Krazy Town wrote...
    Bigbigmama: anyone can look at a photo and see that the entire south side of the restaurant is surrounded by asphalt
    April 16, 2012 11:18 am
    Call me naive but when I make a reservation weeks in advance and I am assured a view table I don't expect "view" to mean craning over my shoulder past three or four other tables of diners to catch a glimpse of something other than pavement. By the end of the meal, I could have looked past that until the server so obviously implied that I was not going to add an appropriate tip to my bill. No other restaurant has made me feel so small and insulted.
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  • Daisy mom wrote...
    Canlis Salad
    April 15, 2012 9:17 pm
    My husband and I were fortunate enough to receive a gift certificate to Canlis as a wedding present nearly 20 years ago. We waited for a special occasion, our first anniversary, to use it. We were treated like royalty. As young twenty something's we were not their typical customer but you would have never known it by the special attention we were given, they EARNED our business that night and every evening we have spent their since. And while it is not something we can afford to do often, it is a truly special treat when we can. The Canlis family both parents and children appear genuinely kind and lovely every time we dine at their resteraunt. And the Canlis Salad? My absolute favorite!
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  • fartforce1 wrote...
    Sounds gross. But I will take your word for it.
    April 16, 2012 7:31 am
    First of all, salad with lettuce tips, especially roman tips sucks. Its slightly bitter. Olive oil and butter is the worst thing on a salad because It blinds taste so no wonder its used to fool people who eat it. Goat cheese is goat milk cheese, its soft but should never be sliced larger than 1/2 inch, quartered is best. semi soft quartered feta aged in herb and oil is better.
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