Milan Salad

Milan Salad, a Philadelphia Classic from the Milan Restaurant (which closed in the 1990's after almost forty years), is made from iceberg lettuce, tomato, red onion, chopped egg, crumbled bacon, and shrimp in "Jimmy's" dressing," a type of Thousand Island dressing.

"Jimmy's Milan," the restaurant opened in 1951 by Jimmy DiBattista, was located at 19th and Chestnut Streets in Philadelphia and was a local nightspot remembered for its Milan Salad and steak and a half.

Legend has it that it was a standard a half century ago at Neff's, the coffee shop near Broad and Spruce, where Jimmy DeBattista encountered it, eventually appropriating it for the menu at his moody Jimmy's Milan on South 19th Street.

Thousand Island-style dressing
2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. ketchup
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. sweet pickle relish

Salad
1 hard-cooked egg, coursely chopped
2 Tbsp. baby shrimp, cooked
1 ripe plum tomato, cubed
Chopped iceberg and Romaine lettuce
3 Tbsp. crumbled crisp bacon

Mix together the first four ingredients. Toss the egg, shrimp and tomato in the dressing. Then add the lettuce and toss again. Sprinkle with the crisp bacon. Serve immediately.

Makes 1 salad

Jimmy Milan’s Recipe: Milan Salad
from Lost Restaurants of Philadelphia By Amy Strauss

As told to Philadelphia Inquirer by longtime Jimmy Milan’s chef Tony D’Angelo.

Serves 2

2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
1 tsp. ketchup
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. sweet pickle relish
Chopped iceberg and romaine lettuce
1 hard-cooked egg, coursely chopped
2 Tbsp. baby shrimp
1 ripe plum tomato, cubed
3 Tbsp. crumbled bacon

Combine mayo, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and sweet pickle relish for dressing. On a plate, top lettuce with all ingredients but bacon. Toss. Scatter with bacon and enjoy.