The Monte Cristo ... When was the Last Time You Enjoyed One?

A Monte Cristo Sandwich!

Wow I hadn’t had one of these amazing sandwiches for maybe 30 years … what a treat it was. This was our first stop on a recent Foodies On Foot culinary walking tour of local restaurants and specialty shops in Stillwater.

It was a warm day, and we had already shared with our group of 24 from Red Wing and Illinois some of the history of this beautiful river town, and our choices of beverage at The Water Street Inn were Bell's Oberon or a glass of Chardonnay. I was thirsty, so chose the Bell’s which was a great choice for a beautiful summer-like day. The Oberon is a very drinkable, summer beer; light and refreshing with flavors of oranges and tangerines, very lite spices of coriander and nutmeg, and a touch of yeast.

Now, the Monte Cristo, I began wondering ... where did this old fashioned sandwich served with strawberry sauce originate?

Though this sandwich tends to vary from restaurant to restaurant, the basic sandwich is two slices of white bread containing ham, turkey or chicken, and a slice of cheese which is dipped in beaten egg and fried in butter.

A classic Monte Cristo sandwich should come with a side of jelly (or a much better rendition which The Water Street Inn adds is a wonderful fresh Strawberry sauce) to dip it in. So, I googled the infamous Monte Cristo sandwich, and this is what I found:

1910 – Most food historian generally think that the Monte Cristo sandwich is a variation of a French dish called Croque Monsieur. This original grilled cheese sandwich consisted of Gruyere cheese and lean ham between two slices of crust-less bread, fried in clarified butter. It was originally served in 1910 in a Paris cafe. This sandwich is still a popular snack or casual meal throughout France and Switzerland in most bars and cafes. It is usually made in a special sandwich grilling iron consisting of two hinged metal plates, each with two shell-shaped indentations. At most Paris cafes, the Croque Monsieur is no longer prepared as a square sandwich but rather as a one-sided tartine made with a large single slice of bread from a round loaf.

1930s to 1960s – Many American cookbooks published in the 1930s to1960s featured this sandwich under different names such as French Sandwich, Toasted Ham Sandwich, and French Toasted Cheese Sandwich.

1950s – Although there are no existing documents to support this, it is felt that the Monte Cristo Sandwich was first served in southern California in the 1950s.

1966 - Disneyland in Anaheim, California also contributed to the trend of eating this sandwich. In 1966, it appeared on their menu of the Blue Bayou and Tahitian Terrace restaurants in New Orleans’s Square in Disneyland and has continued to be a popular menu item to this day.

OK…now we all know about the Monte Cristo, and you know where to get it locally. Now our group needs to do some walking so we build up our hunger for our next stops. 5 more to go!