A Gerber is an open-face sandwich of garlic bread topped with ham and Provel, broiled until the cheese turns gooey and golden. It is a St. Louis lunch-counter creation.

The Gerber was created in the 1970s at Ruma's Deli in St. Louis, named for a regular customer, Dickie Gerber. Built on a half-loaf of buttered garlic bread, layered with ham and the city's signature Provel, then broiled, it became a fixture of St. Louis delis and bars. It is essentially a local riff on open-face cheese toast, and like Provel itself, it rarely appears outside the metro.

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