The Maine Italian sandwich (also called an Amato's Italian [1] , after its namesake, or simply an Italian [2] ) is a submarine sandwich in Italian-American cuisine. [3] The Maine Italian sandwich was invented in Portland, Maine. It is similar to, but distinct from, other types of sandwiches called "Italians" and is closely associated with the Amato's sandwich shop chain, though it is found widely throughout the state. [4] [5] [6] The sandwich is named for the Italian-American community in Portland and not for its ingredients. [7] [8] Italian sandwiches have been referred to as "a part of people's lives" in Maine. [9]
Giovanni Amato, a grocer in Portland, Maine, claims to have invented the "Italian sandwich" in 1902. [10] [11] While selling bread on his street cart, Amato received requests from dockworkers to slice his long bread rolls and add sliced meat, cheese and vegetables to them. [10] [3] Amato later opened a sandwich shop named Amato's, and today the sandwich continues to be prepared by Amato's sandwich shops. [3] [12] The Amato's version is traditionally prepared using fresh-baked bread, ham, American cheese, slices of tomato, onions, green pepper and sour pickle, Kalamata olives and salad oil. [12]
Many other Italian corner markets in Portland sold Italians. In the 1960s, Portland reportedly had an Italian sandwich shop "every couple of blocks." [6] In the 1970s and 1980s, Italian sandwich shops added vegetarian versions of the sandwich without the ham. [13] Monte's Fine Food in Portland was the first Italian shop to add a vegan Italian to the menu in 2019. [13]
The Maine Italian sandwich is prepared using a long bread roll or bun with meats such as ham along with American or provolone cheese, tomato, onion, green bell pepper, sliced dill pickles, Greek olives, olive oil or salad oil, salt and black pepper. [1]
Veggie Italians are made with American or provolone cheese, tomato, onion, green bell pepper, sliced dill pickles, and olives. Sometimes lettuce is added to Veggie Italians. Vegan Italians are made with vegan cheese, vegan ham, tomato, onion, green bell pepper, sliced dill pickles, and olives. [13]
The Maine Italian is usually served on a long soft roll similar to a New England–style hot dog bun (also invented in Maine). [14] It usually has a single cold-cut meat - ham is the most common, though other meats can be found as well. By contrast, Italian sandwiches elsewhere often include Italian meats like capocollo, Genoa salami, and mortadella. [15] [16] The Boston variant of the Italian sandwich is typically prepared on spuccadella and was historically called a "spuckie," though the use of this term is in decline. [17] This comes from the distinction in the sandwich's name: the Maine Italian is so-named because it was commonly eaten by Italian immigrants, not because the sandwich contains Italian flavors or ingredients. [7]
New England cuisine is an American cuisine which originated in the New England region of the United States, and traces its roots to traditional English cuisine and Native American cuisine of the Abenaki, Narragansett, Niantic, Wabanaki, Wampanoag, and other native peoples. It also includes influences from Irish, French-Canadian, Italian, and Portuguese cuisine, among others. It is characterized by extensive use of potatoes, beans, dairy products and seafood, resulting from its historical reliance on its seaports and fishing industry. Corn, the major crop historically grown by Native American tribes in New England, continues to be grown in all New England states, primarily as sweet corn although flint corn is grown as well. It is traditionally used in hasty puddings, cornbreads and corn chowders.
A submarine sandwich, commonly known as a sub, hoagie, hero, Italian, grinder, wedge, or a spuckie is a type of American cold or hot sandwich made from a cylindrical bread roll split lengthwise and filled with meats, cheeses, vegetables, and condiments.
A cheesesteak is a sandwich made from thinly sliced pieces of beefsteak and melted cheese in a long hoagie roll. A popular regional fast food, it has its roots in the United States city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
An open sandwich, also known as an open-face/open-faced sandwich, bread baser, bread platter or tartine, consists of a slice of bread or toast with one or more food items on top. It has half the number of slices of bread compared to a typical closed sandwich.
A Dagwood sandwich is a tall, multilayered sandwich made with a variety of meats, cheeses, and condiments. It is named after Dagwood Bumstead, a central character in the comic strip Blondie, who is frequently illustrated making enormous sandwiches. According to Blondie scripter Dean Young, his father, Chic Young, began drawing the huge sandwiches in the comic strip in 1936.
in Austria and the Swabian, Bavarian and Franconian parts of Germany, 'leverkaas' in the Netherlands and Fleischkäse ("meat-cheese") in Saarland, Baden, Switzerland and Tyrol) is a speciality food found in the south of Germany, in Austria and parts of Switzerland. It consists of beef, pork and bacon and is made by grinding the ingredients very finely and then baking it as a loaf in a bread pan until it has a crunchy brown crust. Variations may be made using other kinds of meat such as horse meat or turkey, or may contain additional ingredients such as cheese or minced chili peppers.
Schnitzel is a thin slice of meat. The meat is usually thinned by pounding with a meat tenderizer. Most commonly, the meat is breaded before frying. Breaded schnitzel is popular in many countries and is made using veal, pork, chicken, mutton, beef, or turkey. Schnitzel originated as wiener schnitzel and is very similar to other breaded meat dishes.
Bulgarian cuisine is part of the cuisine of Southeast Europe, sharing characteristics with other Balkan cuisines. Bulgarian cooking traditions are diverse because of geographical factors such as climatic conditions suitable for a variety of vegetables, herbs, and fruit. Aside from the variety of local Bulgarian dishes, Bulgarian cuisine shares a number of dishes with its neighboring countries, in particular with Turkish and Greek cuisine.
Smørrebrød, smørbrød "butter bread" (Norwegian), or smörgås " butter goose" (Swedish), is a traditional open-faced sandwich in the cuisines of Denmark, Norway and Sweden that usually consists of a piece of buttered rye bread, topped with commercial or homemade cold cuts, pieces of meat or fish, cheese or spreads, and garnishes.
Uruguayan cuisine is a fusion of cuisines from several European countries, especially of Mediterranean foods from Spain, Italy, Portugal and France. Other influences on the cuisine resulted from immigration from countries such as Germany and Scotland. Uruguayan gastronomy is a result of immigration, rather than local Amerindian cuisine, because of late-19th and early 20th century immigration waves of, mostly, Italians. Spanish influences are abundant: desserts like churros, flan, ensaimadas yoo (Catalan sweet bread), and alfajores were all brought from Spain. There are also various kinds of stews known as guisos or estofados, arroces, and fabada. All of the guisos and traditional pucheros (stews) are also of Spanish origin. Uruguayan preparations of fish, such as dried salt cod (bacalao), calamari, and octopus, originate from the Basque and Galician regions, and also Portugal. Due to its strong Italian tradition, all of the famous Italian pasta dishes are present in Uruguay including ravioli, lasagne, tortellini, fettuccine, and the traditional gnocchi. Although the pasta can be served with many sauces, there is one special sauce that was created by Uruguayans. Caruso sauce is a pasta sauce made from double cream, meat, onions, ham and mushrooms. It is very popular with sorrentinos and agnolotti. Additionally, there is Germanic influence in Uruguayan cuisine as well, particularly in sweet dishes. The pastries known as bizcochos are Germanic in origin: croissants, known as medialunas, are the most popular of these, and can be found in two varieties: butter- and lard-based. Also German in origin are the Berlinese known as bolas de fraile, and the rolls called piononos. The Biscochos were re-christened with local names given the difficult German phonology, and usually Uruguayanized by the addition of a dulce de leche filling. Even dishes like chucrut (sauerkraut) have also made it into mainstream Uruguayan dishes.
Amato's Sandwich Shops, Inc., is a chain of Italian restaurants that serves sandwiches, pizza and pasta throughout northern New England, United States. It is best known for its Maine Italian sandwich. About half of these are located throughout their home state of Maine. The chain also has a strong presence in Vermont, and there are a handful of other locations within New Hampshire. Giovanni named his sandwiches "Italians" in honor of his homeland.
A steak sandwich is a sandwich prepared with steak that has been broiled, fried, grilled, barbecued or seared using steel grates or gridirons, then served on bread or a roll. Steak sandwiches are sometimes served with toppings of cheese, onions, mushrooms, peppers, tomatoes, and in some instances fried eggs, coleslaw, and french fries.
Cheese on toast is made by placing sliced or grated cheese on toasted bread and melting it under a grill. It is popular in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, the Caribbean, United States, and in African countries.
The roast beef sandwich is a sandwich that is made out of sliced roast beef or sometimes beef loaf. It is sold at many diners in the United States, as well as fast food chains, such as Arby's, Rax Roast Beef, and Roy Rogers Restaurants. It is sold in many pubs in the UK and at festivals. This style of sandwich often comes on a hamburger bun and may be topped with barbecue sauce and/or melted American cheese. The roast beef sandwich also commonly comprises bread, cold roast beef, lettuce, tomatoes, and mustard, although it would not be uncommon to find cheese, horseradish, fresh/powdered chili pepper and even in some cases red onion. Roast beef sandwiches may be served hot or cold, and are sometimes served open faced.
The bocadillo or bocata, in Spain, is a sandwich made with Spanish bread, usually a baguette or similar type of bread, cut lengthwise. Traditionally seen as a humble food, its low cost has allowed it to evolve over time into an iconic piece of cuisine. In Spain, they are often eaten in cafes and tapas bars.
Breaded cutlet or braised cutlet is a dish made from coating a cutlet of meat with breading or batter and either frying or baking it.
Bowery Bagels is a bagel company in Portland, Oregon. Owner Michael Madigan opened the original shop on Broadway in Old Town Chinatown in 2012, serving New York-style bagels.
