The pizza. That’s what put Bird Pizzeria in Charlotte, North Carolina on the map — and on the New York Times list of the top 22 pizza spots in the country. And rightfully so. The recipe for the dough alone took Kerrel Thompson, who owns Bird Pizzeria with his wife Nkem, two years to develop. Two years! And the results speak for themselves: crispy, chewy, perfect pies that locals and visitors line up for.
But while the pizza is what everyone comes to Bird Pizzeria for, the Caesar salad is giving it a run for its money. You know the one: it looks less like a salad and more like a snow-capped mountain of cheese and breadcrumbs. Dig into the fluffy top layer, and you don’t get the traditional romaine lettuce, but rather tender, flavorful kale. Everyone’s craving it. The only problem is, scoring a table at Bird Pizzeria is no easy feat. The cozy neighborhood spot only seats 40, and reservations are notoriously hard to snag. So what’s a salad-loving, pizza-craving home cook to do?
Thanks to Frank Campanella, a former professional chef (though not at Bird) who goes by Culinary Lion on TikTok, you can get pretty close to the magic right in your own kitchen. There are plenty of copycat recipes floating around social media, but Campanella’s version received a stamp of approval from a friend of the Thompsons, who commented, “Local CLT girlie here! Bird Pizzeria owners are good friends (love seeing this salad go viral because it’s THE BEST!!) and it looks like you nailed it!”
Of course, for the real deal you’ll have to make your way to Charlotte and snag a seat at Bird Pizzeria. But until then, this recipe will absolutely hold you over. Check out Campanella’s recreation below along with the full recipe.
Bird Pizzeria Style Caesar Salad Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1½ lbs fresh kale
- 3 slices Texas Toast
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 3-4 oz fresh grated Parmesan cheese
For the dressing
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp Dijon
- Juice of one lemon
- 2 tbsp capers
- 2 cloves garlic grated
- 4-6 anchovy fillets
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbsp water if needed to thin out dressing
Directions:
- Place Texas toast on a sheet pan and drizzle on both sides with olive oil, then seasoned with Italian seasoning, garlic powder and onion powder on both sides as well. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes at 300° until golden and hard but not burned. Pulverize using a mallet or a food processor then set aside.
- Remove any stem pieces from your kale and chop if needed and a Small even pieces. Begin massaging the kale until it turns a deep dark green color. This will probably take 2 to 3 minutes.
- Prepare the dressing by muddling capers, lemon juice, and anchovies into a paste, then combine with remaining ingredients and whisk until smooth. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- To assemble the salad, pour dressing over the kale and toss until welcome combined then transferred to a large platter on a large platter. Great a ridiculous amount of Parmesan cheese, using a micro plane until you can no longer see the kale. Then sprinkle handfuls of the breadcrumbs on top and serve.
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