The famous Blackhawk Salad

 

When I was young, single, and working in Chicago, I was very much in love with a medical student a few years older. In retrospect, I think he tried to teach me a little sophistication. I clearly remember that the first time I was ever asked what I wanted to drink before dinner was at a restaurant dinner with his friends. I opted for a Tom Collins because I knew it was like lemonade (later found out gin gives me a headache). He was relieved I didn’t ask for a Coke. He took me to upscale restaurants and smokey bars that I would have never known about, and one of our favorite places was Chicago’s downtown Blackhawk Restaurant. I remember one night I wore a new blouse to the Blackhawk—I had spent an astounding $20 on it and felt very extravagant. This would have been in the late fifties.

The Blackhawk, opened in 1920 on North Wabash in the Loop, which meant the elevated roared overheard. Once inside, you never heard the trains. The Blackhawk was famous for its two specialties—the prime rib and the spinning salad bowl.for many years, they featured live music including big bands. Name entertainers appeared there, some like Mel Torme (he had gone to my high school) and Doris Day making their debut appearances, thers such as Kay Kyser, Chico Marx, Louis Prima, and Ish Kabibble were household names. You have to be really old to recognize these names. By the time Tom and I dined at the Blackhawk, the music was gone and the focus was on food. I don’t remember ever eating prime rib, but oh did we love that salad!

A waiter—always a dignified, elderly gentleman—wheeled a cart to the table. On it was a bed of ice and a large salad bowl that he spun on the ice. As he made the salad in front of you, he talked about what he was doing. Today I can still hear those men saying, “We toss it gently three times so as not to bruise the delicate greens.” I don’t remember about this, but I suspect the cream cheese/blue cheese mixture and the vinaigrette were pre-made in the kitchen. If you’ve ever ordered a Greek salad at Pappadeux, you’ll recognize the at-the-table technique.

Christian made this for us one night not too long ago and it was as good as I remembered. In the directions, you’ll note that this was pre-food processors, and the dressing was made in a blender. Today I think you can use either one. Don’t be intimidated by the long list of ingredients but do take heed of the warning that comes at the top of the recipe: Do not skip or substitute a single ingredient or change the proportions.

Blackhawk Salad

Ingredients

3 oz. cream cheese, softened

3 oz. blue cheese, crumbled

5 Tbsp. water

1 raw egg

1 Tbsp. plus 1-1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice

1 cup vegetable oil (In those days, we didn’t use olive oil as much as we do today, and I think olive oil might change the flavor of the dressing.)

2 Tbsp. mayonnaise

¼ c. red wine vinegar

1 Tbsp. sugar

2 Tbsp. chopped chives

1-1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

¾ tsp. salt

¾ tsp. paprika

½ clove garlic

1-1/4 tsp. white pepper

¼ tsp. hot mustard

8 c. torn salad greens (romaine)

1 chopped, hard-boiled egg

Salt and pepper to taste

Mix cream cheese and blue cheese until smooth; add water, a Tbsp. at a time until the mixture is pourable. Set aside.

Combine raw egg, lemon juice, and ¼ c. oil in blender or processor—blend on medium for 15 seconds. Increase speed to high and blend in remaining oil in a steady stream. Stop to scrape down sides of container as necessary. Add mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, chives, Worcestershire, salt, paprika, garlic, white pepper, and mustard and blend until smooth.

Toss greens in a large bowl with enough of dressing to coat. Sprinkle with chopped egg, salt and pepper, and toss gently. Do not bruise those tender greens!

Add 1 Tbsp. cheese mixture and toss again.

Find a Mel Torme concert online, listen to the “Velvet Fog,” and enjoy a Blackhawk Salad.