Poor Boy Sandwich (1938); "Venice of the North" (Bruges, 1938)

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POOR BOY SANDWICH (continued)

   Lucius Beebe's column has a number of interesting items, but I'll start with this one, from the NEW YORK HERALD TRIBUNE, 19 March 1938, pg. 16, col. 1:

   Although the accent has long since disappeared, Kitty Carlisle is still a native of New Orleans, as far as food taste goes.  Miss Carlisle is not a real dyed-in-the-wool gourmet, but she would like to find a spot that serves a Poor Boy Sandwich and, unfortunately, while it sounds like something Reuben's might have, they haven't.  The sandwich originated at Martin's coffee-hickory stand, in the New Orleans Creole market.  When a small Negro boy would ask for a sandwich Mr. Martin, who couldn't resist, picked up a 30-inch French loaf, split and buttered it, split it in thirds and filled each section with fried oysters, sausage cake, ham and cheese and handed the bundle to the hungry kid.  The popularity spread throughout the whole Southwest, and as it did, the price rose rapidly, too, but it still hasn't arrived in New York.

(No mention of the "hero" sandwich, by the way--ed.)

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VENICE OF THE NORTH (continued)

   The WorldCat hits are not this early.  St. Petersburg (Russia) has a fight on its hands now.
   From the NEW YORK HERALD TRIBUNE, travel, section XI, 20 March 1938, pg. 37, col. 5:

_Bruges, Lined With Canals,_
   _Called "Venice of North"_
(...)  Bruges is one of the oldest towns in Belgium.  It is intersected by canals and has been called the "Venice of the north."  A circular tour of the town may be made by boat.