How a Royal's Gambling Habit Gave Us Great Lunch.
Many inventions and discoveries that are around today have come about by accident. A flavor or spice? Someone accidentally mixed a few different things in a pot and realized it was delicious. Yogurt? Someone allowed milk to curdle and figured out a way to eat it. And sandwiches? Someone looked at bread and decided to put more food between two pieces of them. And it worked.
The official story line and credit for one of our favorite meal options comes from John Montagu, the fourth Earl of Sandwich. Legend has it that he was a man who loved to gamble. He would spend hours at the gambling table and one day, during a twenty-four-hour gambling streak, he instructed his chef to prepare him meals that would not interfere with his love of the game. He needed to be able to eat without utensils and with only one hand. This was quite a predicament. The solution to this problem was to put pieces of meat in between two pieces of bread. This allowed the Earl to eat with one hand, make little to no mess, and continue playing the game. And that is how they say the sandwich was born.
Since then, sandwiches have evolved into much more than a few pieces of meat in bread-although it is still appreciated in that most basic of ways as well. Today, you can add condiments and vegetables and all different types of cheeses. There are flatbreads and paninis, hot and cold. There are even pre-made sandwiches, which were first made in the UK in 1980. The mealtime option became even more on the go and easy to eat than it already was. The Earl of Sandwich, while he had his own chef and never needed anything pre-made, could be proud at how far the creation has come. The sandwich has become a staple of American food, with everything from a classic BLT to a chicken salad sandwich deluxe, with French fries included. Delis specialize in sandwich making, and many people have one on their corner or in their neighborhood, where they know your order every time. For this, we have old royalty who liked to gamble to thank.
The menu at Jack’s Bistro satisfies many of your sandwich needs. They have an entire menu dedicated to sandwiches, with sides and substitutes as options. Whether you want a classic or gourmet sandwich, panini or wrap, there are so many ways that you can put a combination of meats, cheese, produce, and seasonings in between two pieces of bread.