For me, a Caesar salad, fries and an ice cold martini is truly the ultimate triumvirate. (Neapolitan ice cream? Not even close. The Supremes? Sorry, ladies.)
So when I recently started spying my favorite combo meal back on my social media feeds, I felt… vindicated. seen. But mostly hungry.
“You’re not sad, you just need a Caesar salad, a side of fries and a dry martini,” reads a post shared on Instagram by Cape Cod restaurant Navillus, which I’ve seen quoted more than once this week. Some TikTokers have called it “New York’s happy meal,” others “the holy trinity.”
Examples vary in cocktail specifications: some emphasize a dry martini, while others specify a dirty. I’ll allow both. I don’t agree with the “pink” version that some are praising. But those who claim that an espresso martini deserves a place at this hallowed table are definitely up to no good; they are wrong.
For me, the beauty of this trio is in the alchemy of textures and temperatures. Ice drink; crispy, hot fries; cool vegetables with a soft crunch. The dish may feel rich (thanks to the potatoes and creamy dressing), but the strong notes of anchovies and the spicy flavor of the cocktail cut through.
I like that it feels less like a traditional protein and side dish. It’s a snack. It has a cobbled-together vibe – I’ve yet to meet a restaurant that offers salad and fries together, so you’re probably ordering from different sections of the menu instead. That’s probably what’s given it a place among posts celebrating “girls’ nights out,” the phenomenon born last year when women share their pared-down dishes — sometimes, aesthetically pleasing, close to sausages, other times, aggressively crude amalgams.
Another thing CFM is aiming for is ubiquity. “You can find it almost all the time,” says Joey Scalabrino, co-owner and executive chef of Leo’s Pizzeria in Brooklyn, whose Caesar salad regularly makes best-of lists. “Obviously you’re going to have a spectrum of better versions and less good versions, right? But there is something comforting about it.”
Especially when it comes to Caesar – when he’s good, he’s great. Leo’s careful version adds radicchio to the romaine lettuce for bitterness, and toasted breadcrumbs take the place of clunky croutons. But you can find reasonable iterations in even the humblest of restaurants.
The combo also has the advantage of being relatively inexpensive compared to a typical appetizer or even a few appetizers. Which is no mean feat, especially these days when restaurant prices are creeping ever higher and can make even a simple bar meal feel like a luxury.
The Big Three can feel festive, something you might indulge in after hitting a deadline at work. Or it can bring a little fun into everyday life. (I highly recommend it as a pre-flight meal.)
So the only question about this elite pair isn’t whether it’s worth a shot. No, we’re left to consider which is best for the endeavor: a dirty martini or a dry one? Scalabrino offers a drier version with a lemon twist — “it’s with citrus for a little contrast.” I tried his suggestion and liked it, but I’m sticking with my usual brine order. Yes, it means a triple dose of saltiness from every food item, but I think, like the famous carpet from The Big Lebowski, it really ties the room together.
Of course, there’s nothing revolutionary about Caesars, fries, and martinis; the salad and cocktail have been around for over a century, and the Belgians started frying potatoes in the 1600s. But sometimes a social media trend has a way of capturing A Perfect Little Thing—and it’s worth sharing.
