Caesar salad is one of my favourite things to eat. It is very simple to make and takes just a few ingredients. A dab on anchovy rubbed round the bowl, some romain lettuce, about a half ounce of grated parmesan cheese and a little dressing, either home made or store bought. Croutons may be added but not necessary, most people leave them on the plate.

Compare to a tossed salad…assorted spring greens, cucumber, radish, celery, tomato, shredded carrot, and the dressing, again store bought or home made.

Why then, when in a restaurant, do I have to pay extra to have a side of Caesar on my plate, instead of tossed? This seems to be the case at every restaurant.

Being a caterer, I cannot imagine why. A Caesar takes me so much less time than any other salad. The ingredients are minimal and both salads have to be dressed at the last minute, so why the difference in cost?

I was at a local restaurant just this week. My lunch companion ordered a half size Caesar, I ordered fish with Caesar. In this particular restaurant the fish comes with a choice of side dish. Chips do not come with the meal unless ordered as a side.

Having ordered this meal at a previous occasion, and knowing the amount of salad was very small, I asked for a half size Caesar and I would pay the difference.

However, I was not allowed to order a half Caesar, I could only order the salad as a side dish. The Caesar was, however, a speciality side dish and cost an extra $2.49. One piece of fish and a “regular” side dish was $10.99, so my meal came to $13.48. When the meal came I received a very small piece of fish and a salad in a soup cup, which was miniscule, to say the least. My friend’s half Caesar was quite a lot bigger and I felt cheated.

I probably will not go there again because of their silly rules. If the fish comes with one side, what does it matter what the side is? If they sold the fish a “la carte”, I could have got the half Caesar, instead of a tiny bowl.

All restaurants charge extra for Caesar salad, but not being allowed to buy a half salad instead of a side. Left me frustrated and very unsatisfied with the attitude of the establishment.

Another family restaurant in town used to do a really nice fish and Caesar salad, it cost $10.99 and was a very satisfying meal. A couple of years ago they refurbished and brought in a new menu, which no longer had the fish and Caesar as an option, just chips. I asked if I could replace the chips with a Caesar, yes, of course, no problem.

It was delicious as usual however, when the bill arrived, my meal was over $23.00. When I questioned this, I was told that I had to have the Caesar as a separate meal and that was the cost. Nothing had been deducted for the lack of chips. The place used to be one of our favourite haunts but we no longer go there. I am a vegetarian but eat fish however I do not want chips with it every time.

Like I said, I cannot understand the “special” price of a salad. Because it has the name of a kind of royalty does not mean it needs to carry a royal price.