Chef Anthony Rose picks Toronto’s best Caesar salads

With the Ides of March upon us, we had chef Anthony Rose (a.k.a. Mark Antony Rose) stab his fork into the city’s most delicious Caesar salads.

Winner: Quanto Basta

“This looks gorgeous, I love the thick-cut pork belly and the polenta croutons are great! This is solid: it’s got a nice dressing, you can really taste the anchovies and the cheese. It tastes fresh and homemade, I could eat this whole thing.” 1112 Yonge St., $17

Runner-Up: Pantry

“I like how soft the kale is, it’s not dense. It has a good amount of cheese and a nice amount of dressing. It tastes fresh and delicious and it’s spot on. The chickpeas are a little spicy, which gives it a kick. I would eat this entire salad.” 1094, Yonge St., $11.59

Aloette Go

“It’s cool, but there are a lot of extras, and I would say this is the least like a Caesar salad that I’ve tried so far. The egg and chicken are both cooked perfectly, and this would be a great, hearty lunch.“ 171 East Liberty., $14

The Octagon

“I really like the dressing on this salad. I like the amount of garlic it has, but it could really use some acid. The croutons are nice and crispy
and I like that they are baked, but they are lacking in seasoning.” 7529 Yonge St.,Thornhill, $24

Planta Cocina

“I love the play on the Mexican theme with the tortilla chips and the cheekiness of it. The beans are a nice addition, but the mushroom bacon is extremely hard. I want the dressing to hit me with anchovy, but it tastes more like a lame mayonnaise.” Multiple locations including 10 Temperance St.,$15.25

Parcheggio

“The baby kale is okay but I think it would have been nice for them to also in- clude some romaine. I like the greenness of it. The dressing is a little too thick for a salad like this. I like the addition of the parmesan breadcrumbs and it has a good amount of garlic.” 2901 Bayview Ave. North York $17.95

Chadwick’s

“The bacon is really big but it’s not too fatty, which is nice. It’s very, very garlicky, and there’s quite a bit of heat to this. It’s a little overpowering. I like the addition of the crispy fried shallots and the anchovy dressing.” 268 Howland Ave., $13

Forest Hill Farmhouse

“I appreciate this salad. It needs some more dressing and seasoning, but I appreciate all of the extras in here — the chicken, the quinoa — I think the Caesar has room for all of this. It just needs about two more ounces of dressing.” 2 Lola Rd., $15.99

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