Maine Italian Sandwiches
Photo: Amato's
When the coolers come out for lunch on a hot summer day at the beach, odds are that nestled in between soda cans and ice packs are footlong sandwiches tightly wrapped in wax paper. Unwrapped, the split rolls bulge with American cheese, tomatoes, onions, ham, sour pickles, green peppers, olives, salt, pepper, and a drizzle of oil. Out-of-staters might call them subs, but these babies are a Maine original: the Maine Italian sandwich.
The Maine Italian sandwich has no specific ingredient that makes it “Italian.” Rather, it was an Italian family – the Amatos of Portland – who created the sandwich in the early 1900s. They first sold bread from a cart to dockworkers along Portland’s waterfront before stuffing the rolls with ham, cheese, and veggies. The sandwiches popularity led them to open Amato’s Sandwich Shop on India Street.
The Amato family sold their business in the 1970s, but by then the Maine Italian had spread far beyond their Portland sandwich shop. Mom-and-pop markets, neighborhood delis, and gas stations began making their own versions, turning the sandwich into a staple of Maine road trips, beach days, and workday lunches.
Author: Stephanie Bouchard
