MenusInLA.com puts nine local sandwich makers’ classic creations to the test

When it comes to a sandwich, nothing says Maine quite like an authentic Italian, with its soft, fresh roll, meat, cheese and fresh veggies soaking up a perfect blend of oils, salt and pepper.

Maybe it’s with extra pickles, oil on the side. Or light on the salt and pepper, hold the peppers. No matter what your preference, there is no denying the consensus that an Italian sandwich is in a league all its own.

The Italian sandwich was invented (so the story is told) in 1899 by Giovanni Amato, who was a baker on Portland’s working waterfront. He allowed local dockworkers to talk him into splitting his Italian bread lengthwise and packing it with meat, cheese and vegetables.

In the L-A area, the Italian sandwich is said to have been first made by Sam Bennett, who began selling his own salami Italian sandwiches out of a small shop on Minot Avenue in the late ’30s.

According to Dan Poulin, district manager at Sam’s Italian Foods, you won’t find a genuine Italian south of Kittery.

“You’ll find lots of hoagies, subs, grinders and hero sandwiches,” he said. “But you’ll be hard-pressed to find anything close to an authentic Maine Italian. Just ask anyone who moves away; they will tell you it’s the one thing they miss besides family.”

What makes the classic Italian a one-of-a-kind treasure are the ingredients, especially the bread. It’s nothing like the crusty, chewy loaves you find elsewhere.

“The bread must be soft and fresh, which is tied to the sandwich’s identity. Then it’s layered ham, real American cheese, Spanish onions, bell peppers, ripe tomatoes and the right pickles,” according to Poulin. “Drizzle the perfect blend of vegetable and olive oil on top, sprinkle with salt and you have a sandwich that can’t be beat anywhere outside of Maine.”

MenusInLA.com, a locally based online guide listing area restaurants’ profiles, menus and reviews, recently held a taste test to compare area eateries that carry the signature sandwich.

Website owner Travis Dow thought it was about time to put them to the test, since Italians are such a part of our local culture.

“Whenever I posted a photo of an Italian sandwich, people would start commenting . . . which would end up as a debate over their own personal favorites, be it the toppings or where to purchase one. And it just seemed like the perfect time to have a taste test of Maine’s summer staple, allowing followers on Facebook to know where to get an Italian that fits their own personal criteria.”

Numerous restaurants were contacted to participate.

Nine agreed: Amato’s, Heathco’s, Heidi’s Brooklyn Deli, The Italian Bakery, Jami K’s, Luiggi’s, Sam’s, Bourque’s and Vespucci’s.

“They were unaware as to when we would be purchasing the actual taste-test sandwiches. We picked them up just prior to meeting with the judges (earlier this month), ordering a ham Italian with everything on it and oil on the side,” Dow explained.

Then the 10 sandwich enthusiasts entered the conference room at the Auburn Public Library to taste what the nine area eateries had to offer. They ranged from a National Guard sergeant to a doggie day care owner, from retired ladies to the mayor of Auburn.

“Each sandwich was cut in half and placed on a plate and passed around to examine,” explained Dow. “Judges were not told where the sandwiches came from or even what restaurants had participated. Slices of each sandwich were then handed out one at a time and the taste testers were asked to rate their portion on a scale of 1 to 5.”

Among the criteria listed on the rate sheet were taste, appearance, bread, quality of ingredients and overall.

“We also asked the judges to guess where they thought the Italians were from. The most recognized were Heidi’s and Amato’s.”

“Just like on Facebook,” Dow noted, “each person had something different to say about each sandwich that was important to them. The same sandwich could have a comment on how it had too many pickles and another saying there were not enough. And I found it interesting that even though several of the participating restaurants purchased bread through Sam’s bakery, they received different scores.”

The room was bursting with nods of approval and comments, including: “I can’t wait to dive into this one!” One comment got everyone laughing: “An Italian is kind of like sex, it’s never bad.”

Georgette D’Amour of Lisbon and Joanne Bergeron of Lewiston were two of the judges and glad they were asked to participate.

“The interacting with the other people and listening to their comments made the session quite lively,” said D’Amour. “The choices were well represented and everything was appealing.”

Bergeron agreed. “I was surprised to see the variety of all of the Italians. Each to his own taste, but I just prefer a good old-fashioned Italian. I’ve lived in Lewiston all my life, so therefore Sam’s is one of my favorites along with my neighborhood store, Jami K’s. You can’t beat either one. My go-to sandwich is ham or a tri-combo (boiled ham, salami and capicola ham) loaded with pickles, light on the onions, and oil on the side, with salt and vinegar chips completing the meal . . . and sometimes a whoopie pie.”

“I like the soft bread as well, but I have a half of an Italian with ham and no pickles,” D’Amour said with a laugh. “And the best way to complete the meal is with a beer!”

Meanwhile, National Guard Sgt. Tyler Beck of Lisbon and Auburn Mayor Jonathan LaBonte enjoyed the deli-style Italian made by Heidi’s Brooklyn Deli.

“It looked and tasted as though it came from an eatery where you would order and sit down to eat,” commented Beck.

“It doesn’t look at all like a traditional Italian, but it certainly tasted great,” added LaBonte. “And I do like the beer idea, but I’m glad someone else said it first.”

And the “overall winner” was?

Heidi’s Brooklyn Deli, which was loaded with ham, salami, provolone, lettuce and tomatoes, with the deli’s own bread. (For the other winners go to MenusInLA’s Facebook page.)

“That just goes to prove how everyone has different tastes and opinions of what a true Maine Italian should be,” said Dow. “You can’t take the results as gospel because on any other day, with 10 different individuals, the results could be totally different. Like one taster said: ‘There’s not a bad Italian.’ I suggest everyone make it their duty to go out and try them all this summer!”

Bergeron said there needs to be more taste tests.

“And I think it should be a Maine lobster roll,” she said with a smile.

“Sign me up!” D’Amour said.

Homemade Italian sandwich

Italian sandwich bread

Sliced ham or salami

Sliced cheese

Sliced tomatoes, green pepper and Spanish onions

Sour dill pickles, sliced like a French fry

Black or kalamata olives, optional

Layer all ingredients in the order listed

Drizzle with Italian oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Italian Oil

Vegetable oil

Pure olive oil

Pour 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil into a one-cup measuring cup. Fill rest with

vegetable oil. Store in airtight container.

Old-fashioned whoopie pies

Ingredients:

Cake

1/2 cup quality cocoa powder

1/2 cup very hot water

1/2 cup milk

1 tablespoon vinegar

1 1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup shortening

2 3/4 cup flour

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, whisk cocoa powder in hot water. Set aside.

Pour vinegar into milk. Set aside.

In small bowl, mix together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder. Set aside.

In large bowl, mix sugar and shortening till fluffy with hand mixer.

Add eggs and vanilla, mix, then add cocoa mixture.

Alternate adding milk mixture and flour mixture. At the end of alternating, flour should be last.

Dollop onto lightly greased baking sheet and bake 7-10 minutes.

Filling

Ingredients:

5 tablespoons flour

1 cup milk

1 stick butter

1/2 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

Instructions:

Whisk flour and milk in saucepan over low heat until it is a semi-thick paste. Cool in refrigerator.

Cream remaining ingredients till fluffy. Add cooled milk mixture and beat for 3-4 minutes until super creamy. Sandwich the filling between two cookies.

But who was ‘Most Authentic’?

While the Overall Best award was given to Heidi’s Brooklyn Deli when the MenusInLA.com taste test was over, the judges named winners of 10 other categories. For a list and a lot more on the judging go to the MenusInLA Facebook page.