National Sandwich Day: Why Fall River's iconic sandwiches are the best

FALL RIVER — The Earl of Sandwich would have had a blast in Fall River.

John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich, is the guy credited with inventing the sandwich. Legend has it that the earl was playing cards and didn't want to disturb his game, so he asked the cook to place a piece of meat between two slices of bread so he could eat and play at the same time.

Genius, right?

According to the old calendar of special days, National Sandwich Day is celebrated Nov. 3. Good thing the Fall River area is known for quite a few out-of-the-ordinary sandwiches — in fact, you probably need more than just one day to "celebrate."

Sure, there are lobster rolls, and Philly cheesesteaks, and New Yorkers can probably even count bagels and lox as a sandwich, per se.

Best lobster rolls: Who makes the best lobster roll on the SouthCoast? Here are eight to try

But in Fall River, we kick it up a notch, as our beloved native son, Emeril Lagasse, would say. From chow mein sandwiches, to chourico and peppers and even the Coney dog, here is a list of Fall River's best sandwiches.

Chow mein sandwich

The chow mein sandwich — a staple on many local lunch menus — even garnered the attention of CNN a few years ago.

The chow mein sandwich probably got its start thanks to old-fashioned supply and demand: a large population of textile workers wanting a quick, inexpensive lunch and the ingenuity and cooking skills of the city’s Asian-American restaurateurs.

It consists of fried noodles — usually from Fall River’s Oriental Chow Main Co., 42 Eighth St. — with a sauce made of ground meat, onions and celery, served on a hamburger bun.

A chow mein sandwich is nearly impossible to eat as a sandwich, however.

It’s generally served on a plate alongside a knife and fork. But the sandwich was wrapped in wax paper in days gone by and once it cooled a bit, could be eaten with hands only — albeit messy hands.

Chourico and peppers

Pulling from the strong Portuguese roots in the region, a chourico and peppers sandwich never disappoints.

Chourico and chips

Who can forget the chourico and chips from Billy’s Café? Fried chourico sausage paired with french fries — what could be more decadent? Where do you get your chourico and chips fix these days?

Marzilli's or Marcucci's grinders

When it comes to grinders, Fall Riverites really can't go wrong. Located just down the street from each other, two perennial favorites — Marzilli's and Marcucci's — each have a strong, loyal following. Some swear by the bread at one, others say the meat is superior at the other. Either way, they make for great eating.

Portuguese steak sandwich

Ah, a nice piece of sirloin steak cooked in a zesty sauce and topped with a red pepper and a fried egg — take that, Philadelphia, this is how we make a steak sandwich in Fall River.

Bifana

Bifanas are traditional Portuguese sandwiches made with thin slices of pork that are marinated and simmered in a sauce of white wine, garlic, and paprika and served on soft rolls with plenty of mustard and piri-piri sauce.

Coney Island hot dog

Does a hot dog count as a sandwich? It's a piece of meat on a bun — we say yes! And in Fall River, the Coney dog is king. Take a hot dog, place it on a steamed bun and top it with mustard, chopped onions and Coney sauce — a beanless chili made with finely minced ground meat made from an often top-secret recipe — and voila! You have a Coney Island hot dog.

Hot cheese sandwich

Fall River even made it to the Atlas Obscura and Saveur magazine for this sandwich. According to them, the Nite Owl Diner used to serve a hot cheese sandwich, and now a few of the hot dog joints in the city have followed suit. The result looks a little like scrambled eggs, but apparently the recipe for getting cheddar to this consistency is top secret!

Breakfast sandwich on a bolo

Sure, any combination of eggs and cheese, with ham, bacon or sausage tastes great on an English muffin, or even a bagel. But place it on a Portuguese bolo levedo? Perfection! For the uninitiated, bolos are a little sweet and certainly larger than an English muffin. King Arthur's even offers a recipe to make your own. This article even suggests using a bolo under eggs Benedict — definitely worth a shot.

This article originally appeared on The Herald News: National Sandwich Day: Fall River's chow mein, Coney Island, hot cheese