Garbage Salad, Neat
A Chicago Classic, Redefined
There are places that don’t change—and shouldn’t. At Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse, the lights stay low, the booths stay full, and everything arrives with a kind of quiet confidence. You don’t rush. You don’t overthink it.
You order what sounds right and let the room do the rest. A martini—or something close—finds its way to the table. Conversations settle in. The noise softens just enough to feel like you’re part of something, but not the center of it.
And then the salad comes.
Chicago, Unapologetically
Salad
Protein
1/4 cup peppered salami, small dice
1 cup sauteed shrimp with 1 tbsp Bayou Seasoning
Cheese
1/2 cup provolone, small dice
½ cup smoked mozzarella minis
Vegetables
4 cups romaine & iceberg, finely chopped
2 tbsp red onion, finely diced
1 cup pickled asparagus, cut into 1 inch or less
1 cup sauteed shrimp
1/2 cup small cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1/2 cup seedless cucumber, small dice
1 green pepper, finely diced
Optional: 1 can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
House Vinaigrette
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, finely grated
1/2 tsp oregano
pinch red pepper flakes
salt + black pepper
Shaken until emulsified, never overworked.
Ingredients
Method
Start with the base. Romaine and iceberg are finely chopped until uniform, nothing oversized, nothing rushed. The goal is consistency—each bite carrying the same balance. Continue with the red onion, green pepper, asparagus spears, cucumbers to obtain uniformity in the bowl combined with the mozzarella mini balls and diced provolone.
The supporting elements are prepared separately. Crisp the salami lightly in a pan, sauté the shrimp with the bayou seasoning 5 mins each side frozen and 3 minutes each side thawed, medium high heat.
Layer the salad rather than tossing immediately. Begin with the greens, then add the remaining ingredients in stages so the composition holds. Finish with the vinaigrette just before serving, tossing gently to coat without weighing everything down.
Serve immediately, while everything still feels distinct.
Plating Notes