10 Popular Foods Named After People

Here are 10 dishes that were named after the people who created or inspired them.


The names behind our food are inspired by all sorts of places and for a variety of reasons.

Here are 10 dishes that were named after the people who created or inspired them.

Number 10. Fettuccine Alfredo. An early version of the popular pasta recipe was a simple dish of flat noodles, loads of butter, and a very generous helping of Parmesan cheese. It came from the kitchens of Ristorante Alfredo in Rome, a popular dining establishment in the early 20th century. Even today the dish remains largely unchanged, although many recipes now include fresh cream and seasonings.

Number 9. Eggs Benedict. This one has several creation stories springing from myriad kitchens throughout the world. Among the more colorful is the tale of how a chef at New York's Waldorf Astoria custom made the dish in 1894 for Lemuel Benedict, a patron wishing to nurse his hangover.

Number 8. Nachos. Despite what many believe, the American favorite is, in fact, a Mexican invention. The first batch was whipped up by a man they called Nacho. He made them one day while working at the Victory Club in Piedras Negras, which is in Mexico.

Number 7. Caesar Salad. The staple found on many Italian restaurant menus has very little to do with Italy except as its inventor's birthplace. It was created by and named after chef Caesar Cardini, who owned the Hotel Caesar, located in Tijuana, Mexico.

Number 6. Carpaccio. The dish of raw, thinly sliced beef was named by the iconic Harry's Bar in Venice in 1950 in honor of Italian Renaissance painter Vittore Carpaccio. He was popular in the late 15th and early 16th centuries and noted for the vivid red he used.

Number 5. Chateaubriand. The recipe, which involves some pretty serious cooking techniques, was first prepared for French writer and diplomat Vicomte François René de Chateaubriand. That was back in the early 1800s, and although the cuts used to make it have varied over the years, it remains a popular restaurant offering.

Number 4. German Chocolate Cake. The Germans are quite adept in the sweets-making department, but this cake has nothing to do with them. It's named for Sam German, maker of Baker's German's Sweet Chocolate, a key ingredient in the rich dessert.

Number 3. Cobb Salad. This dish was the invention and preferred late night snack of Bob Cobb, owner of the Brown Derby in Los Angeles. Created around 1935, it eventually found its way onto the menu and soon became popular among diners everywhere.

Number 2. Bananas Foster. The flaming banana desert made its debut in 1951 at New Orleans' famous restaurant, Brennan's. The establishment's owner named it after his friend and patron, Richard Foster.

Number 1. Margherita Pizza. When Queen Margherita visited Naples, Italy in 1889, a local pizza maker created this dish in her honor. He was very purposeful in using the colors of the Italian flag to compose it.

What other foods do you know of that have been named after people?