The Meal Of A Gambler: The Sandwich

Sandwich, in fact, is a coastal town in south-east Britain. One of the Cinque Ports during the Middle Ages, the name of Sandwich was made known all over the world by John Montagu the 4th. The Earl of Sandwich.

 

However, he did not achieve this with his political influence, but rather with his choice of food at the gambling table!

 

John Montagu was such a conversant gambler that he would not leave the gambling table even to have a meal. Consequently, he found a new way to eat during gambling. He would order his servants to bring him a few slices of beef between two slices of bread, so that while he was eating his meal with his one hand, he could play cards with his other free hand. Soon this simple snack food attracted the attention of other gamblers at the club as well, and in a short time gained popularity with the utterances of “the same as Sandwich!”

 

In the Medieval Ages, as breads were added to the menus and used as plates, the first open-faced sandwiches in history, “trenchers” were born. And so, it was the that  the 4th Earl of Sandwich caused the word “sandwich” to be added to our dictionaries by his practical mind.

 

Having been covered in a recipe book by Elisa Leslie for the first time in the 17th century, the sandwich has become popular among everyone with its wide variety including: a cheese sandwich, meat sandwich, sandwich with vegetables, and sandwiches with seafood. There are also sweet sandwiches like the one Elvis Presley made popular; peanut butter and banana sandwich, between French toast.

 

Known as the starting point of the Fast-Food concept, this savor spread between two slices of bread can be found either in dine-in restaurants or at kiosks in almost every country on earth now. One of the fabulous spots where I ate this little snack and will never forget its taste is Cosi Restaurant Sandwiches in St. Germain, Paris.

                                                                                                        

Cosi Restaurant Sandwiches

 

If you pass by the Notre-Dame Cathedral which was saved from being destroyed (owing to the story of the hunchback “Quasimodo” that came to life from the romanticism-soaked quill of Victor Hugo) and make a tour along the River Seine you  finally end up in the old train station named  Musée d'Orsay which houses many post-impressionist works.  Cosi Restaurant Sandwiches is a good stopover for your stomach, which you may hear start to rumble.

 

The long line of people that forms during the lunch hours is evidence of  the taste of the sandwiches served in this little spot which was opened in 1989. But don’t get discouraged by this long line! They serve very quickly and it is definitely worth waiting for.

 

Although most of the customers order their food for takeaway, the second floor has a cozy atmosphere with a few wooden tables and chairs for you to have a little rest as well.

 

The menus are written on the black board behind the counter. If you’d like to, you can also create your own sandwich too. Besides the ones with meat in them, they also have a great variety of sandwiches for vegetarians. You don’t have look up the ingredients in a French dictionary to order because, the menus are written in both French and English and the workers can speak English as well.

 

The secret to the taste of the sandwiches of Cosi is obviously the freshness of their ingredients. Although I don’t like it that much, their mayonnaise is home-made. And if you ask for my opinion, the main factor for this lingering taste that the sandwiches left on your palate is the restaurant’s piping hot “breads!”

 

I’ve always respected the refined restaurants which bake their own bread and Cosi is absolutely one of them. Breads like ciabatta, pannini and focaccia are baked in the stone oven, right before your eyes. That means you always get your sandwiches fresh, piping hot and crunchy. Moreover, “Fish la Boissonerie” across the street also acquires its bread from Cosi. While waiting in the line, you can see the waiters and waitresses in a hurry carrying breads between the two restaurants.

 

The wines that accompany your meal are from “La Derniere Goutte” which belongs to the same owner. Located just around the corner, La Derniere Goutte sells organic wines to its customers.

 

Beer-lovers can enjoy their French beer “Gallia” which used to be produced between 1890 and 1960, and has started to be produced again since 2008 on the initiatives of two friends.

 

I’m sure you won’t be able to forget the taste of the sandwiches which cost around 20€ per one person!

 

Bon appétit and enjoy the taste of life!..

 

Cosi Restaurant Sandwichs

+33 1 46 33 35 36 54 

Rue de Seine 

75006 Paris, 

France

 

www.gevrekandginger.com