# Do I "need" a wood bowl to make a good Caesar salad?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-need-a-wood-bowl-to-make-a-good-caesar-salad/741270>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [December 24, 2015, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-need-a-wood-bowl-to-make-a-good-caesar-salad/741270 "2015-12-24T16:11:14Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\
**Post date:** [December 24, 2015, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-need-a-wood-bowl-to-make-a-good-caesar-salad/741270/1 "2015-12-24T16:11:14Z")

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I went to [Celebrity](http://celebritytulsa.com/) in Tulsa last week and had one of the best Caesar salads I ever had in my life. The salad was made table side in a wooden bowl.

The salad itself looks easy enough to make, but I’m wondering if the wooden bowl she made it in adds any inherent value to the salad? Or is it all just for show?

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**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\
**Post date:** [December 24, 2015, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-need-a-wood-bowl-to-make-a-good-caesar-salad/741270/2 "2015-12-24T18:18:24Z")

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No. It’s there for show. The bowl should add nothing to the flavor.

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**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\
**Post date:** [December 24, 2015, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-need-a-wood-bowl-to-make-a-good-caesar-salad/741270/3 "2015-12-24T21:58:33Z")

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The wood bowl is “necessary” if you go the whole “rub the inside of the bowl with fresh garlic” route. Otherwise put the garlic in the dressing and call it good.

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**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\
**Post date:** [December 25, 2015, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-need-a-wood-bowl-to-make-a-good-caesar-salad/741270/4 "2015-12-25T00:10:36Z")

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The well-seasoned, meaning never washed properly, coated with rancid grease from years gone by bowl. :eek: Yeah, more, preferably even more, garlic in the dressing. And lots of anchovies. Nobody puts in enough.