Commander’s Salad

  Posted on February 22, 2012  by Leslie Blythe  1 comment

Commander’s Palace is a restaurant in New Orleans, Louisiana that was built in 1880. If you visit New Orleans, you must put this on your to do list, which I know is quite lengthy!  It is located in the Garden District of Uptown New Orleans (1403 Washington Ave, New Orleans, 70130), and is owned by the Brennan family. It has long been one of the best regarded upscale restaurants in the city. Paul Prudhomme and Emeril Lagasse are two of its most famous alumni who have worked in its kitchen through the years.

In 1880, Emile Commander established a small saloon at the corner of Washington Avenue and and Coliseum Street. Within a few years he turned it into a restaurant patronized by the distinguished neighborhood families of the Garden District.  By 1900 Commander’s Palace was attracting gourmets from all over the world.

In the 1920s, Frank G. Giarratano was the owner of the restaurant and lived above the restaurant with his wife, Rose and their two sons. There were rumors that there were private dining rooms upstairs rented to riverboat captains, visitors, etc. The upstairs rooms were the private residence of Mr. Giarratano and his family. while the downstairs with a separate entrance remained a family establishment. After, World War II, Mr. Giarratano fearing that the restaurant business would decline from what it had been during the war and in declining health sold the restaurant to Frank and Elinor Moran.

In 1944, Frank and Elinor Moran bought Commander’s Palace, refurbished it and carried on its tradition of excellence with an expanded menu including many recipes still used.

30 years later, when the Brennans took over, they redesigned the interior to complement the outdoor setting. Large windows replaced walls, and custom trellises and paintings were commissioned.

The restaurant suffered extensive damage due to Hurricane Katrina in 2005. After a full renovation, the restaurant re-opened on October 1, 2006.

Commander’s Salad

Serves 4

4 cups mixed salad greens
4 Tbs crumbled crisp bacon
4 Tbs freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup croutons

Dressing

Makes 2 cups

1 1/2 cups salad oil
1 egg, at room temperature
1/3 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly cracked peppercorns
1/4 cup white vinegar
3 Tbs minced onions
2 hard-cooked eggs, halved, for garnish

Wash and dry greens, and tear into bite-size pieces. In a salad bowl, combine the greens, bacon, cheese and croutons. Put 1/2 cup oil and the remaining dressing ingredients in a blender. Cover and blend on low speed. Remove the cover and gradually blend in remaining oil.

To serve, pour 8 tablespoons dressing over salad and toss. Divide onto individual salad plates or bowls, and garnish each serving with hard-cooked egg half.