The 1981 Salad or The 1905 Salad or The Best Salad Ever!

uring a past trip to Walt Disney World, we had dinner at one of our favorite restaurants – Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’ at Disney Springs. We eat there just about every trip as the food is always delicious and the atmosphere is fun. This time, though, I noticed something different on the menu… the 1981 Salad. It seemed so similar to the 1905 Salad I had at the Columbia Restaurant when I was in Tampa for a conference in college. I absolutely loved that salad at the Columbia, so I just had to give this 1981 Salad a shot. And boy did it knock my socks off!

Living nearly 8 hours from Orlando and even farther from Tampa, I knew I had to recreate the recipe at home so I could enjoy this deliciousness anytime I wanted.

Fortunately, the Columbia shares their recipe on their website, so I had a great place to start. And honestly, it didn’t need much work. Chef Art’s dressing is a little more flavorful and tart than the original version, so I added some more vinegar to kick it up a notch.

When it came time to name this recipe, I knew I wanted to make it recognizable as a copycat of Chef Art’s but also pay homage to the OG, the 1905 Salad. And when I couldn’t decide exactly what to name it, I decided to call it all of them!

So, whether you know this as the 1981 Salad from Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’ or the 1905 Salad from The Columbia, I just know it as the Best Salad Ever!

Now, this isn’t a light little side salad. It is packed with toppings – lettuce, ham, cheese, tomatoes, and artichokes. But it’s the specific combination of ingredients and the big, bold flavor of the dressing that makes this salad so special. And while the Worcestershire sauce gives the dressing its unique flavor, the garlic is what gives it the kick of flavor. It’s the kind of salad that will require breath mints or gum later, but it’s 100% worth it!

Where did the 1905 Salad come from?

The 1905 Salad became famous at the Columbia Restaurant in Ybor City. The Columbia is a landmark restaurant that holds the title of the oldest continually operating restaurant in Florida and the oldest Spanish restaurant in the United States. It’s also one of the largest Spanish restaurants in the world with 1,700 seats; it takes up nearly a city block.

What is Chef Art’s 1981 Salad?

Chef Art’s 1981 Salad is the unique twist taken by the restaurant Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’ on the original 1905 Salad from The Columbia – which he named as an ode to his first Disney cast role in the Magic Kingdom College Program back in 1981. The 1981 Salad is described on the menu as “chopped iceberg and spring mix lettuce, honey ham, roasted artichoke, tomato, Swiss cheese and Spanish olives. The secret is in the sauce with Worcestershire, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, and vinegar. Chef Art’s nod to the Tampa classic.”

Chef Art’s version adds some spring mix to the original 1905 Salad, which just calls for iceberg. He also added artichokes, which I think was brilliant as they add great flavor and are one of my favorite veggies. I also think his salad has more toppings in general, which is why I included more in my recipe.

My 1981 Salad Recipe Notes:

I used iceberg lettuce, but you can add some spring mix! Chef Art included some spring mix in his salad, but I just used iceberg in my version. I’m usually not a huge iceberg fan, but it just works in the recipe and gives it the crunch it needs. And though iceberg doesn’t have much flavor, you won’t need it with the crazy flavorful dressing. But, feel free to add in some spring mix, if you wish.

The dressing is the real star here! For me (and for the Columbia) Lea and Perrin’s Worcestershire sauce is a must. In fact, the Columbia claims the title of being Lea and Perrin’s largest customer. This dressing gets better as it rests to allow the flavors to meld, so feel free to make it a day or so in advance.

Some dressing ingredients are traditionally added table-side, but they don’t have to be! The dressing at the Columbia doesn’t include the lemon or Worcestershire. Those are added with the dressing as it’s tossed table-side. To make it a little easier, I added those ingredients to the dressing – as does Homecomin’. For a more authentic experience, you can add it when serving. I developed my version to be more like Chef Art’s.

This dressing is bold, so be cautious about just pouring it all in! I add some dressing, toss, and taste to get it where I want it. It’s always easier to add more than it is to take it away.

About the ham and cheese cut… The ham and cheese both call for them to be julienned or cut into matchstick sizes. I think it’s a great way to add some textural difference to the salad, but they will taste just the same however you decide to cut them.

Take careful note of the order of words in the recipe! When an ingredient in a recipe lists the prep part before the ingredient name, it means that you’ll need to prep it in that manner before measuring. For instance, the recipe calls for “1 cup of julienned Swiss cheese,” so you’ll want to julienne it before measuring. If the recipe called for “1 cup of Swiss cheese, julienned,” you’d measure it first, then cut it. I hope that makes sense! If not, you can always comment below, and I will answer any and all of your questions!