Sometimes, things with funny names are hard to remember.
Like muffaletta.
I had heard about these wonderfully huge sandwiches from Scott when he was regaling me with tales of his many trips to New Orleans. I liked the name. But it just wouldn’t stick.
So the sandwiches themselves became a source of fascination for me as I tried to remember the name.
Motherf*cker? Muffahooha? Muffaletsgo? Muffawhatsit?
No matter what they were called, I wanted to try one.
Hence how the trip to the Blues City Deli in St. Louis came about.
Known for selling New Orleans-style po’ boy sandwiches, muffalettas and Chicago-style hot dogs, it is one of the most well-respected delis in the city. I’ve even heard rumours of queues out of the door at peak lunchtime.
Of course we ordered the full size muffaletta to share. It comes stacked high with mozzarella, provolone, Genoa salami, mortadella and smoked ham topped with a fresh olive spread on a sesame seed bun (I guess my clean eating will start next month).
I’m not usually a fan of olives unless they are cooked on a pizza, so I was a bit wary of how much I would enjoy it. But I was pleasantly surprised.
Because of how the spread is made, it tastes fresh and tangy and not bitter at all. And the amount of filling was almost overwhelming (I said almost). The cheese and spread complement the smokiness and fat of the meats really well.
The sandwich was HUGE. I wasn’t sure that it would be big enough for us to share, but boy was I wrong.
As I’ve never had a muffaletta in New Orleans, I couldn’t compare it to the original, but I’ve been assured it’s pretty damn close.
And that’s good enough for me.
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