Anthony’s Place: The Bob Salad – The Bite

Welcome back to The Bite, Sheepshead Bites’ weekly column where we explore the foodstuffs of Sheepshead Bay. Each week we’ll check out a different offering from one of the many restaurants, delis, food carts, bakeries, butchers, fish mongers, or grocers in our neighborhood. If it’s edible, we’ll take a bite.

A “Bob Salad?” Whoever heard of such a thing? And at an Italian restaurant yet. “Mama’s Salad,” “Maria’s,” “Tony’s,” sure. But Bob? Fuggedaboutit!

A search on the internet didn’t help. A discussion with the waitress didn’t help.  Even a talk with Anthony, the owner and chef, didn’t help. “C’mon Anthony, I’ve been coming here over 20 years. My family’s been coming since it was Pizza Bowl back in the 40’s. You can tell me. Why is it called a Bob Salad?” I pleaded.

“It just is,” Anthony replied.

And it’s only available in Sheepshead Bay.

Anthony’s Place’s “Bob Salad” ($10.00 at dinner, $9.50 at lunch) is a hand chopped salad of iceberg lettuce, red onion, white onion, celery, carrots, cucumber, red cabbage, roasted red peppers, croutons and Mozzarella cheese. All items are hand chopped very uniformly to about a 1/4-inch dice and topped with Anthony’s house dressing.

This is one big salad and can easily serve two for lunch, or one for a light dinner. The dressing accentuates the flavors of the vegetables and since the pieces are so small, it almost marinates them, but doesn’t overpower. The salad is served ice cold and crispy, which adds to its charm.

When we have leftovers of this, which we often do, they always get saved for the next day. When a Bob salad is left over night the dressing almost pickles the vegetables and creates a whole new flavor sensation and completely different dining experience. I say go for it.

A Bob Salad. It just is.

Anthony’s Place, 2110 Avenue X, (718) 743-8099