| All recipes have been approved by the Roadfood.com editors. |
| Collard Greens
Of all the vegetables served at the buffet line of the Blue Willow Inn, proprietor Louis Van Dyke may give the most thought to collard greens, which he calls, "God's gift to the South." He believes that they are always best when cooked a day ahead, chilled and reheated – a process that gives them the opportunity to mellow, and for the good pork flavor to thoroughly infuse the leaves.
|
|
| Country Ham Biscuit
Vandyland was a counter-and-booth sweet shop near Vanderbilt University in Nashville; a staff member once told us that its name came about when the owners bought what was then called Candyland and wanted to change signs with minimal expense. It was the ham biscuit that first won our hearts to this place, which finally closed its doors in 2006: classic buttermilk biscuits sandwiching sizzled pieces of quarter-inch thick country ham, each slice rimmed with amber fat.
|
|
| Croque Monsieur
Food historians believe the croque monsieur originally was served early in the 20th century in a Paris cafe. Since that time it has became a favorite quick, inexpensive hot meal for students, travelers on a budget, and goopy cheese lovers.
|
|
| Green Beans
"In the South, mama always canned green beans from the garden," says Louis Van Dyke of the Blue Willow Inn. "That is why we always used canned green beans, even when fresh-from-the garden are available. "People come to the Blue Willow Inn to eat food like mama or grandmother made; and when it comes to beans, they have to be canned."
|
|
| Green Tomato BLT
Of all the variations on the classic theme of the BLT, the Loveless Cafe's version, layered with crisp fried green tomatoes, is one of the most beguiling. The tang of the tomatoes and their brittle crunch provides extraordinary balance for the savor of bacon and gentle notes of mayo and lettuce.
|
|
| Grilled Ham & Cheese
At the S&S Dugout, ham and beef are sliced to order for every sandwich, and they are available either cold or hot. We definitely recommend the latter. A key element in making a ham sandwich the S&S way is to slice the meat ultra-thin and mix it up well. Reminiscent of the chip-chopped ham of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the pale pink leaves must not be layered flat, but should be clumped together like the petals of a rose.
|
|
| Ham & Beef & Cheese Double Decker
While lesser known than chili outside of Cincinnati, the double decker is every bit as big a deal to Queen City chowhounds. As the name suggests, it is a variation of the club sandwich: three slices of bread interleaved with multiple ingredients, almost always constructed in such a way that the sandwich is taller than it is wide, defying the most wide-open jaw. Ingredient choices for double-deckers range from bacon and egg to hot ham and cheese, turkey, beef, and bacon, all generally piled in with lettuce, tomato, mayo, mustard, pickle, etc. We are especially fond of hot ham, which is sliced thin and loaded into the bread in moist clumps, and generally paired with American cheese.
|
|
| Hoosier Tenderloin
Nick's Kitchen lists its tenderloin on the menu with a challenge that's ironic considering its culinary history: "Bet You Need Both Hands". Two hands are barely adequate for hoisting the colossal sandwich, which is built around a wavy disk of audibly crunchy pork that extends a good two to three inches beyond the circumference of a five-inch bun, virtually eclipsing its plate.
Please note that prep time is only ten minutes, but that the tenderloins should marinate in the refrigerator overnight before preparation.
|
|
| Hot Bacon Dressing
Dandelion greens topped with hot bacon dressing is a true Pennsylvania Dutch specialty. When the dandelion greens are not in season, a nice tossed salad will do. Many people like this salad before a hearty serving of Turkey Pot Pie.
|
|
| Hot Pork
Ann Sather is best known for breakfast, but its reprtoire of comfort-food lunch and supper is impressive. This hot roast pork sandwich requires some serious preparation and demands sitting down with a knife and fork.
|
|
| Mighty Ity
As its name suggests, Super Duper Weenie is primarily a hot dog place. But it is also a great source for cheese steaks as well as for a superb Mighty Ity Italian sausage sandwich. When chef Gary Zemola gave us the recipe for that one, he said that he felt the key to making it great – beyond using excellent ingredients – is time. "Don't rush anything when making a Mighty Ity," he said. "Let the flavors meld."
|
|
| Muffaletta
The name "muffaletta" once referred only to the bread, a chewy round loaf turned out by Italian bakeries. New Orleans grocery stores that sold the bread got the fine idea to slice it horizontally and stuff it, and the muffuletta sandwich was born. It has become a signature dish of The Big Easy, but, like the po boy, has become known nationwide. It depends on good bread and cold cuts, but the soul of a muffaletta is its olive salad. This is the recipe used at the wonderful All-Star Sandwich Bar in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
|
|
| Sheboygan Brats
Beyond top-quality sausages, preferably those made in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, the fundamentals of a brat sandwich include good hard rolls and a grill with white-hot charcoal briquets or hard-wood charcoal. Some time back The Sheboygan Press suggested that the sausages be boiled in doctored-up beer before getting grilled, as suggested in this recipe.
|
|
| Tuscan Sausage and Bean Soup
The silk-smooth texture of cannelini sings excellent harmony with rugged sausage in this recipe from Chicago's Harry Caray's
|
|
