Tavern sandwich

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Tavern Sandwich
ClassicTenderMaid.jpg
A tavern sandwich with cheese
Alternative namesLoosemeat
Type Sandwich
CourseMain
Place of origin United States
Region or state Midwestern United States
Serving temperature33C / 91F
Main ingredients Bun, ground beef, onions

A tavern sandwich (also called a loose meat sandwich or loosemeat) is a sandwich consisting of ground beef on a bun, sometimes mixed with sauteed onions, and sometimes topped with pickles, ketchup, mustard, raw onions, and/or cheese.

Contents

Unlike a hamburger, a tavern's meat is cooked loose rather than formed into a compact patty. It more closely resembles a sloppy joe, without the tomato-based sauce. [1]

History

Carroll Dietz of Missoula, Montana, created the precursor to the tavern sandwich in 1920, referred to as a "steamed hamburger." [2] In 1926, Fred Angell began selling his version of the sandwich at the first Maid-Rite restaurant in Muscatine, Iowa, under the name "loose meat sandwich." [3] [4] The name "tavern" for the sandwich is credited to David Heglin. Heglin sold the sandwiches at his Sioux City, Iowa, restaurant in 1924. After Heglin died, Abe Kaled bought the business in 1934 and renamed the restaurant Ye Olde Tavern after the sandwich. Kaled perfected the recipe for the ground beef, and the tavern sandwich spread to restaurants and bars across the Sioux City area. [5] [6]

The sandwich is now well known throughout the Midwestern United States, and is served not only in small, local establishments but also in franchise restaurant locations such as Dairy Queen and Maid-Rite. The Wichita, Kansas-based chain Nu Way Cafe serves a version of the tavern/loose meat sandwich called a "Nu Way". [7] In Illinois, the sandwich is also known as a "loose hamburger sandwich". [8] In Iowa, it is sometimes referred to as a Maid-Rite. [9]

Cultural references

In later seasons of the American sitcom Roseanne , Roseanne Conner (Roseanne Barr) co-owns a restaurant called the "Lanford Lunch Box" in the fictional town of Lanford, Illinois, which specializes in loose meat sandwiches. [10] The inspiration for Lunch Box was a real-life restaurant called Canteen Lunch in the Alley in Ottumwa, Iowa. [11] In 1993, Roseanne and then-husband Tom Arnold opened Roseanne and Tom's Big Food Diner (based on the fictional Lanford Lunchbox) in Eldon, Iowa (less than 20 miles southeast of Ottumwa's Canteen Lunch), also specializing in loose meat sandwiches.[ citation needed ]

Iowa's loose meat sandwich figures in the episode "Iowa" of The Good Wife , in which a presidential candidate completing the full Grassley is forced to eat a loose meat sandwich at each stop. [12]

See also

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sloppy joe</span> Variety of sandwich made with ground meat

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louis' Lunch</span> Restaurant in New Haven, Connecticut which allegedly invented the hamburger

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NuWay is a fast-food restaurant based in Wichita, Kansas. Opened July 4, 1930, the restaurant soon became famous for its loose-meat sandwiches and root beer. The sandwiches are similar to what is known in the Upper Midwest as tavern sandwiches and the ones served at that region's Maid-Rite restaurant chain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canteen Lunch in the Alley</span> Restaurant in Iowa, United States

Canteen Lunch in the Alley is a restaurant located in Ottumwa, Iowa. The original five-stool Canteen Lunch was opened in 1927 in a different location, and moved to its current address in 1936. The “Canteen Lunch” was originally established in 1927. In 1936, the business relocated to its present location under the second street parking ramp in Ottumwa, Iowa. It has since been a local institution known for its loose-meat sandwiches and homemade pies. The restaurant's design is a horseshoe-shaped counter-top surrounded by 16 stools. It remains an example of an early to mid-20th-century lunchroom. The Canteen Lunch reflects on this type of eating establishment that gained popularity in the 1920s and 1930s as social and economic challenges were felt by the Great Depression.

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A hamburger is a specific type of burger. It is a sandwich that consists of a cooked ground beef meat patty, placed between halves of a sliced bun. Hamburgers are often served with various condiments, such as dill relish (condiment), mayonnaise, and other options including lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, and cheese.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roast beef sandwich</span> Sandwich made from roast beef

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.

Ye Olde Tavern was a restaurant that specialized in tavern sandwiches located at the corner of 14th and Jackson streets in Sioux City, Iowa. The establishment was founded by John David ("Dave") Heglin, who is credited as one of the creators of the tavern sandwich.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barbecue sandwich</span> Sandwich with barbecued meat fillings

A barbecue sandwich is a sandwich that is typically prepared with barbecued meats. Several types of meats are used to prepare barbecue sandwiches. Some varieties use cooked meats that are not barbecued, but include barbecue sauce. Many variations, including regional variations, exist, along with diverse types of cooking styles, preparations and ingredients.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pepito (sandwich)</span> Type of sandwich

The pepito is a sandwich prepared with beef, pork, or chicken originating from Spain and also very popular in Latin America. It is a common street food in Venezuela and is also available at some U.S. restaurants. For the beef version, various cuts of beef are used, and myriad additional ingredients can also be used in its preparation.

References

  1. Peterson 2006, p. 137.
  2. Mariani 1999, p. 297.
  3. "What Is A Loose Meat Sandwich?". maid-rite.com. Archived from the original on 14 October 2017. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
  4. "How We Maid History". maid-rite.com. Archived from the original on 19 April 2017. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
  5. Poole, Marcia (October 19, 2005). "Loosemeat legend feeds curiosity about Siouxland classic". Sioux City Journal. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
  6. Stern, Jane; Stern, Michael (2007). Roadfood Sandwiches. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN   978-0618728985.{{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  7. Smith 2008, p. 87-88.
  8. Dondanville 2003, p. 215.
  9. Motz, George; Zimmern, Andrew; Brearton, Kristoffer; Young, Douglas (2016). The great American burger book: how to make authentic regional hamburgers at home. New York: Stewart, Tabori & Chang. ISBN   978-1-61769-182-9. OCLC   921863985.
  10. Metcalf 2000, p. 116.
  11. "TV ACRES:Restaurants, Bars & Nightclubs > Lanford Lunch Box (ROSEANNE/ABC/1988-97)". www.tvacres.com. Archived from the original on 18 September 2012. Retrieved 6 July 2012.
  12. "'The Good Wife' Recap: Enjoy Every Sandwich". www.tvline.com. 11 January 2016. Retrieved 11 January 2016.

Bibliography