Every culture I know and nearly every restaurant I have ever been to has at least one type of salad to offer. For some, salad is a way to consume fewer calories or more veggies. For others, it is a way to experiment with colors, flavors, and textures. Salads range from simple two-ingredient lead-ins to a main course to elaborate combinations of exotic ingredients. There is at least one iconic salad that seems to appear on nearly every menu, but not many know that the Cobb salad was a Southern California invention. 

While many salads on restaurant menus are carefully crafted creations designed to set them apart, the now-famous Cobb salad could almost be described as a happy accident.
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There are a couple of variations to the story of how the salad actually came to be, but one thing is clear - it all started here at the original Brown Derby restaurant in Hollywood. This whimsical eatery in the shape of, well, a brown derby hat, was opened in 1926 and became an icon during Hollywood’s Golden Age.
Sba2 at English Wikipedia., CC BY 2.5 , via Wikimedia Commons
The other thing that is undisputed is that the salad was named after the restaurant’s owner, Robert Howard Cobb.
Los Angeles Daily News, CC BY 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

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The most commonly accepted version of the story says that one night in 1938, Cobb had not eaten until very late and headed to the restaurant kitchen to see what he could put together. He pulled various ingredients from the refrigerator including lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs, and an avocado. There was bacon cooking, so he decided to add that too. It was all tossed together to make a salad of sorts.
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As it turns out, Hollywood showman and founder of the famous Chinese Theatre and Egyptian Theatre, was at the restaurant that night. Cobb shared his newly-created dish and Grauman liked it so much, he came back the next day and ordered a “Cobb” salad. And that was that; a menu item and destined-to-be-classic salad was born.
Unknown photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The humble Cobb salad, traditionally served with the ingredients in neat rows or sections, has evolved since its creation. The Brown Derby eventually added chives, watercress, Roquefort cheese, and chicken to their signature Cobb. Other restaurants and chefs have developed their own versions. Whatever the variation, the Cobb salad has become a ubiquitous menu item and an American favorite.
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Are you a fan of the classic Cobb, or perhaps some fancy variation of it? And were you aware that it all began here in Southern California? We would love to hear from you in the comments. If all this talk about food has left you hungry, check out some of our favorite places to grab a bite in Southern California! Or even better, why not learn from the pros with one of these amazing cooking classes on MasterClass?

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