Awhile ago, Mike, one of the soon to be famous Food Dudes asked about my list of favorite sandwiches. The following posts will be in no particular order. I am willing to wager my head might explode attempting to rank these in any order of preference. Suffice it to say, there's a perfect time and place for each of these sandwiches and at that point in life, it's the number one sandwich.
- Big H, Hero Inn, Riverhead, NY
A moment of silence for the passing of a beloved brother. I haven't had a Big H since the Hero Inn went out of business a few years back. I am infinitely poorer for it.
The Big H was a simple mixed cold cut hero transformed into legend by the substitution of crisp, sweet, shredded green cabbage for the tame,lame assed threads of flavorless iceberg lettuce (Riverhead, NY is Polishtown USA, so they're BIG on cabbage here!) and seasoned with truly sublime Italian style vinaigrette that invariably worked its way through both the sandwich paper around the hero and the paper bag such that it was necessary to transport the bag of sandwiches on a rubber floor mat in the truck or risk deep stains to the upholstery.
The best part? The last bite, when all of the vinaigrette had accumulated and absorbed into the now mushy with deliciousness heel of the sandwich. O my!
Word was that on top of being a damned great sandwich, it was also a serviceable cure for hangovers all sorts. Not that I would know anything about that...ahem.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
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Mmmm you said it well enough to make me hungry. Thanks Steve. Keri (a.k.a. Sam)
ReplyDeletei have a friend who would kill for the actual recipe. please post the details if you have them.
ReplyDeleteThanks,
phil
I will pay anyone $50 that can give me the exact recipe/ingredients to replicate this sandwich. Please help.
ReplyDeleteMy father in law owned the Hero Inn. He is the creator of the Big H. We have been bugging him to make the Big H for his grandchildren so they may enjoy this delicious sandwich.
ReplyDeleteI worked next door to the Hero Inn for 3 years and drank heavily at the dive bar next door to the Inn on the other side. While the Big H was great for hangovers, the pea soup got me through them better.
ReplyDeletePlease tell your father-in-law that the Big H got me thru two AT&T strikes, freezing cold weather, too hot & humid weather and I miss it every time I visit NY. If he ever decides to give up the recipe (vinaigrette too) we'd love to have it.
Thanks for bringing up great memories.
Well I'm the original owner of the Hero-Inn from 1971...still guarding the secret recipe for the vinegarette...I do miss the 29 years I spent there...made a living, had fun, and made lots of friends....BOB
ReplyDeleteI’m not sure why the recipe must be kept a secret, but I respect your decision as the creator of this amazing sandwich. (but please give us the recipe anyway, so that we fans can have one more bite at the hero)
ReplyDelete