A popular rock song from the early 1960s, “Louie, Louie” was made famous by the Kingsmen and many other Northwest bands. It is often thought of as the soundtrack to Washington state. The lyrics they sang were almost unintelligible.
Another thing that is hard to figure out is who came up with the Northwest seafood salad that everyone loves? Also, who came up with crab Louis? Or should that be crab Louie Louie?
The origins of crab Louis turn out to be muddy. It is served all over the country; it was very popular and seen as a kind of cocktail-era luxury for people who didn’t want big steaks. It was served in seafood diners and fancy hotels.
The salad’s origins appear to have been on the West Coast. That makes sense because in the late 19th century, we had an abundance of fresh crab. San Francisco, Seattle, Vancouver, and Portland served crab on menus dating back to the 19th century. We had a secret weapon: the Dungeness crab.
Capt. Dungeness Spit was named by George Vancouver because it reminded him of Dungeness in England. It is now the town of Sequim in Washington. As soon as he and his group arrived at Discovery Bay in 1792, they caught fish and crab for the crew. What the Dungeness Spit area had was an abundance of sweet, tasty crab that was the best eating. Dungeness crab thrived from Northern California to Alaska. It became a commercial hit.
In the late 1800s, rail refrigeration and road systems made it easier for more people to get fresh crab. This meant that more people could eat it without worrying about getting sick. Bad crab could kill, a fact newspaper stories widely advertised.
Fresh produce became more widely available, too — lettuce, for instance. In the 1800s, a crab salad might be crab — fresh or canned — mixed with mayonnaise. But for the swells in the early 1900s, crab with lettuce and other vegetables and foods was a great new idea. Healthy, too. By the 1930s, crab Louis had become very popular in Seattle. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer wrote at the time, “A trip to Seattle without a feast of crab a la Louis is like Paris without the Eiffel Tower.” ”.
The first time it was in a Northwest cookbook was in the Portland Council of Jewish Women’s Neighborhood Cookbook in 1912. It calls for lettuce, two hard-boiled eggs and shredded crab meat. But the Louis dressing was what made it work. It had 3 tablespoons of oil, 1 tablespoon of vinegar, ½ cup of catsup, 2 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce, paprika, salt, and a bit of English mustard. Mix and serve on lettuce leaves.
You can make that fancy meal without much trouble if you have the best crab in town. The key part is the dressing, not just plain mayo, but a zesty and often pink concoction.
The origins of Louis are disputed — success has a thousand fathers and mothers. One story says that Italian tenor Enrico Caruso visited Seattle in 1904 and ate crab Louis at the Olympic Club or Olympic Hotel. He became hooked on the dish and couldn’t stop eating it. The only problem with that story is that the legendary Caruso never performed in Seattle. He was supposed to open the Moore Theater, but it wasn’t finished in time for him to accept the offer. He was in San Francisco, however, during the city’s 1906 earthquake, which he fled, unharmed.
San Francisco was an early adopter of Louis. Louis Dressing is said to have been named after the restaurant’s chef, Louis Coutard, in 1908. The restaurant was also decorated in Louis XIV style; perhaps that was a reference, too. The Coutard dressing doesn’t have catsup in it, but it does have chives, olive oil, tarragon, shallots, Dijon mustard, and champagne vinegar. Another San Francisco restaurant, Solari’s, also laid claim to inventing crab Louis.
Famed chef James Beard grew up eating Crab Louis in Portland, his hometown. He said he first encountered it at a fine dining establishment called the Bohemian. Portland, he believed, was the origin of Louis dressing. The Bohemian newspaper talked a lot about its “famous crab Louis” in the 1920s and 1930s. In the 1930s, it was advertised on the radio.
Beard re-created the Bohemian’s recipe in the 1980s, saying, “The dressing is what makes the dish. His updated version called for homemade mayo, yogurt, chili sauce, grated onion, a little Tabasco sauce, and whipped cream. Oh, and as much crab as your generosity could afford. Even though the yogurt was meant to help you lose weight, the whipped cream made up for it.
Louis is still a signature dish for some establishments — even ones far removed from the coast.
At the grand Davenport Hotel in Spokane, for example. It was on the menu when the hotel opened in 1914 and is still there. It is said to be named for Llewellyn “Louis” Davenport, the owner of the hotel. The hotel’s salad includes fresh Dungeness crab, ripe tomato and lemon wedges, seeded cucumber and hard-boiled eggs. It won’t say what is in the Louis dressing. Put all that together, chill, and serve.
Crab Louie, also known as crab Louis, is a delightful and delicious salad featuring crab meat that originated on the West Coast of the United States. But where did this iconic dish get its name from? As it turns out, there are several fascinating theories behind why this salad is called Crab Louie.
When digging into the history of Crab Louie, it becomes clear there are a few potential people it could have been named after Let’s explore the leading theories behind this distinctive moniker
Louis Davenport – Hotel Founder
One of the most popular origin stories credits Louis Davenport, the founder of the elegant Davenport Hotel in Spokane, Washington in 1914. As the legend goes, Davenport would import crab from Seattle to serve at his luxurious new hotel. His talented chefs developed an incredible salad featuring the sweet Dungeness crab from the Pacific Northwest, and Davenport named it after himself – thus Crab Louie was born.
While the Davenport Hotel still proudly serves their signature Crab Louie on the menu, the only hole in this theory is that recipes for Crab Louie pre-date the opening of the hotel in 1914 So Davenport likely named his version after himself, but didn’t invent the initial recipe.
Louis Coutard – San Francisco Chef
Another potential namesake is Louis Coutard, a chef in San Francisco in the early 1900s. The story goes that Coutard worked at the famous French Poodle Dog restaurant, and he created a rich, creamy dressing for crab salads that was dubbed “Louis dressing” after himself.
While the Coutard dressing recipe lacks the signature ketchup found in most Crab Louie recipes today, it does lend credence to the idea that a chef named Louis invented his own version and dressing to go with the crab salad.
Inspired by King Louis XIV
One more theory looks back to France in the 1600s and suggests Crab Louie got its regal name from King Louis XIV. Some point to the French monarch known as the “Sun King” and his lavish, indulgent reign as inspiration for naming a decadent crab salad in his honor.
The luxe Davenport Hotel in Spokane was even decorated in a King Louis XIV style when it opened. So whether directly named for the king or just to connote French elegance, this is another potential root of the Crab Louie moniker.
A Nod to San Francisco’s Bohemian Spirit
While less specific than naming the dish after an individual, some posit that Crab Louie was a nod to the lively bohemian spirit of San Francisco in the early 1900s. The salad first appeared on the menu at Solari’s restaurant in San Francisco in 1914, a bastion of the city’s artsy, avant-garde culture at the time.
Naming such a creative salad with an unconventional, fun name like Crab Louie would fit right in with the relaxed, innovative atmosphere of the bohemian movement. So this theory suggests “Louie” was just a casual, quirky name choice rather than honoring a specific Louis.
Simply Similar to Louie Salad Dressing
Lastly, the most straightforward theory is that Crab Louie was named after a popular type of dressing at the time known as Louie dressing. Recipes for Louie dressing date back to 1912 in Portland, featuring a blend of ketchup, oil, vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce.
Since this zesty, pink dressing was well-known by the time Crab Louie emerged, it’s possible the name was just a reference to the standard Louie salad dressing served alongside the crab mixture. Simple, but plausible!
While we may never know the absolute true origin story, it’s fascinating to learn all the ways this beloved seafood salad got its catchy name. Whether it was named for a prolific hotelier, a talented chef, a lavish king, or simply as a nod to a conventional dressing, Crab Louie remains a delightful staple of West Coast cuisine with an unforgettable moniker.
So next time you enjoy this crab salad, consider the diverse history behind why it’s called Crab Louie!
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Where did Crab Louie salad come from?
A Crab Louie salad in Fort Bragg, California in 2024. Crab Louie salad, also known as Crab Louis salad or the King of Salads, is a type of salad featuring crab meat. The recipe dates back to the early 1900s and originates on the West Coast of the United States .
How do you pronounce Crab Louie salad?
Crab Louie Salad or Crab Louis Salad – Both spellings of the salad are used on restaurant menus, but it is usually pronounced “LOO-ey”. This famous west coast salad is also called “King of Salads,” and is sometimes written as Crab Louis Salad. Check out more delicious Salads and Salad Dressing Recipes.
Where did Crab Louie come from?
The recipe dates back to the early 1900s and originates on the West Coast of the United States . The exact origins of the dish are uncertain, but it is known that Crab Louie was being served in San Francisco, at Solari’s, as early as 1914.
What is Crab Louie made of?
Crab Louie is typically made with a Louie dressing, which is similar to a Thousand Island dressing. This can easily be made at home from a handful of basic pantry ingredients that include mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, horseradish, and Worcestershire sauce. (Store-bought varieties are available too.)