History

Giovanni Amato, a Sicilian immigrant baker, sold the first Italian sandwich at his Italian Sandwich Shop on India Street in 1902 to Portland dock workers who needed lunch they could carry. Amato sold them for a nickel. The soft white roll was based on Sicilian-style rolls; the seven fillings stayed standard. The Maine Italian became the regional sandwich of Portland and southern Maine, distinct from any other US Italian-American sandwich. Amato's still operates the original 1902 storefront on India Street; the Maine Italian routinely appears as Maine's signature lunch on national lists.

Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy

Make it at home

Yield Serves 4Hands-on 20 minTotal 20 minDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 4 soft long white rolls (sub rolls or Portuguese rolls)
  • 200g sliced ham
  • 200g sliced Genoa salami
  • 200g sliced American cheese
  • 1 large white onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 ripe tomatoes, sliced
  • 100g pitted green olives, halved
  • 12 sour pickle slices
  • 60g pickled banana peppers, sliced
  • 60ml extra virgin olive oil
  • Kosher salt, black pepper

Method

  1. Split each roll lengthwise without cutting all the way through.
  2. Layer ham, salami and cheese inside each roll.
  3. Add onion, tomato, olives, pickles and banana peppers in even thin layers.
  4. Drizzle each sandwich with olive oil.
  5. Season with salt and pepper. Press the roll closed.
  6. Wrap in butcher paper and rest 5 minutes before serving. The roll absorbs the oil; this is the point.

Tip from the editors. Soft roll only. A crusty baguette is not the Maine Italian; the soft pull of the bread under oil is the signature texture.

This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.

Where to eat maine italian sandwich

Maine Italian sandwich in Portland

Amato's Original Italian Sandwich ★ 4.3

india-streetDaily 09:00-21:00

Amato's on India Street, since 1902 from Giovanni Amato, is the original Maine Italian sandwich shop: ham, cheese, olives, onions and tomatoes on a soft roll.

Try: Maine Italian sandwich

Tip: Open daily 09:00 to 21:00. The original 1902 storefront is the canonical first stop.

71 India Street, Portland, ME 04101

Rosemont Market Munjoy Hill ★ 4.6

munjoy-hillDaily 08:00-19:00

Rosemont Market on Congress Street Munjoy Hill, founded 2005 by John Naylor and Scott Anderson, is the Portland farm-and-cheese grocery cluster.

Tip: Daily 08:00 to 19:00. Cheese counter is the strongest in the city; wine cellar lives in the basement.

88 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101

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