Montauk Sandwich

[tmjst]

Growing up in a large family in New England, one of our standard menu items whas what Mom called a "Montauk," which is a simple open-faced broiled cheese sandwich topped with a slice of tomato and two strips of bacon.

I googled "Montauk Sandwich" recently, and found a couple of NYC-area restaurants with that exact sandwich on their menu. A Life Magazine from 1955 has a Kraft Cheese advertisement with a similar sandwich (sans tomato), with the assertion that "Its old-time Yankee name is 'Montauk.'" A couple of restaurants list a "Montauk Sandwich" with completely different ingredients.

So I'm curious about the origin of the name "Montauk" to describe an openfaced broiled cheese/tomato/bacon sandwich. Anybody know where it might have come from?

Edited June 13, 2011 by tmjst (log)

[janeer]

Just a guess that it came from a menu item at one of the large resorts that used to be at Montauk Point in the Hamptons

[suzilightning]

i grew up on shelter island from the 50's to the 70's but have never heard of it?!

don't know that i would ever take an openfaced sandwich out in montauk or hither hills - the gulls would be on you like...... a flock of flying rats.

[tmjst]

My Mom told me last night that she got the recipe from HER Mom, so it was probably called a Montauk well before WWII. I guess this may be a bit of culinary ephemera...