I'm thinking about making this tonight. I had it before the concert on Monday at The Palm restaurant and loved it.

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Never has a simple dish stirred so much controversy. Rumors are rife, and only the true Palmerati know the difference between a "regular Gigi" and a "West Coast Gigi." Named for the late, great maestro himself (Gigi Delmaestro, West Hollywood Palm general manager for twenty-seven years), this salad is ordered more than any other single dish at the Palm. True Palm regulars never order "Gigi salad." Just ask for a "Gigi."

- 1 pound green beans, ends trimmed
- 1 pound ripe beefsteak tomatoes, cored and roughly chopped into 1/2-inch chunks, including seeds and juice
- 1 medium onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
- 3/4 cup Basic Vinaigrette
- 1/4 pound bacon, cooked until crisp, then drained
- 6 jumbo (U-12) shrimp or 12 medium shrimp, cooked, peeled, and cut into 1/2-inch lengths


In a saucepan of rapidly boiling salted water, cook the green beans for 4 minutes. Drain immediately, and rinse under abundant cold water until the beans stop steaming. Shake to remove excess water; then spread on a double thickness of paper towels to dry briefly. Cut into 1 1/2-inch lengths.

In a large bowl, combine the beans, tomatoes, onion, and 1/2 cup vinaigrette. Toss until evenly coated, adding the remaining vinaigrette only if necessary. Mound on chilled salad plates. Crumble an equal amount of the bacon over each salad, and scatter with a few pieces of the shrimp. Serve at once.

Variation for the West Coast Gigi: Garnish each salad with a hard-boiled egg, peeled and cut into wedges, and 1/2 Hass avocado, peeled and sliced.