It’s not customary to discuss Caesar salad at the start of a review. After all, at many establishments, it’s that thing drenched in a gloopy substance formulated in some factory. But at Atlantic City’s Cafe 2825, the Caesar is, in many ways, a perfect place to begin.

A uniformed server, one of several who will orchestrate your experience, arrives at your white-clothed table with a large wooden bowl, a wooden spoon, and a tray containing pasteurized egg yolk, Worcestershire sauce, crushed garlic, Parmesan, dry mustard, anchovies and red wine vinegar—the latter not typically included in a Caesar.