The New Jersey Sloppy Joe
In parts of northern New Jersey, a "sloppy joe" refers to a cold delicatessen sandwich, unrelated to the type of sandwich described above. There are minor variations depending on the deli, but it is always a triple decker rye bread sandwich made with one or more types of sliced deli meat, such as turkey, ham, pastrami, corned beef, roast beef, or sliced beef tongue, along with swiss cheese, coleslaw, and Russian dressing. Some delicatessens make a "foot-long" variety which is sliced in half before being served.
The Town Hall Deli in South Orange claims to have invented the New Jersey sloppy joe in the 1930s. According to the deli's owner, a Maplewood politician, Thomas Sweeney, returned from a vacation in Cuba, where he spent time at a bar named Sloppy Joe's -- from which the Key West bar obtained its name. The bar's owner laid out fixings for patrons, who put sandwiches together. Sweeney asked Town Hall to cater his poker games with the same sort of sandwiches, and they caught on.
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Famous quotes containing the words jersey, sloppy and/or joe:
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—Orson Welles (1915–1984)
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—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)