The recipe for the ‘Trump’ sandwich. Photo by Patrick Ralph
By Preeti Singh
A snapshot promoting a white bread ‘Trump’ sandwich taken at a café’s sidewalk chalkboard, attracted 46K likes, 20,349 shares, and more than 1,400 comments on the Facebook page of George Lopez, the American comedian, actor and talk show host. He termed it, “About to give America poisoning.”
The chalkboard promotion belongs to Amigos restaurant on Broadway between W. 112th and W. 113th Streets, and has attracted much attention of passersby as well.
Filled with baloney (bologna) and served with a Russian dressing and a small pickle, the sandwich, said Seth Gibbs, manager at Amigos, represents all that is wrong with the Republican Presidential candidate.
“The Trump sandwich is prepared by Mexicans and served by immigrants in our restaurant,” said Gibbs. “Trump’s comments don’t sit well in New York City.”
Versions of the Trump sandwich have been reported at other locations in the United States. The Brooklyn Olive Leaf Gourmet deli’s version has a slice of American cheese and a Vermont deli added some bacon and called their version the B.S. (bull shit) sandwich.
The sandwich also traveled to Windsor in Ontario, Canada, where owner Lawrence Lavender of the Windsor Sandwich Shop added a wall of tortillas to his version. “Trump supporters flooded the reviews of my business with negative comments,” said Lavender in a telephone interview. “But my regular patrons know better.” Some newspapers reported that Lavender had to withdraw his Trump sandwich because of the backlash by Trump supporters. Lavender insists that he stopped the sandwich on his own, “when we ran out of the bologna. We don’t use it for our regular sandwiches.”
There have been no takers for the Trump sandwich at Amigos till now. “People laugh at it, but no one wants it,” said Gibbs. However, the sandwich has been a boost for Amigos’ business, he says, because “people notice the chalkboard and walk in.”
On a table outside, Bobby Gouse was having tortilla chips and beer on Monday. With the presidential race entering the last few weeks, Gouse was amused with the chalkboard. “I would never order the Trump sandwich,” said Gouse. “It can only be full of baloney and bullshit like the man himself.”
Another patron at Amigos, Casey Hagwood would not take the sandwich if it was offered for free. “I refuse to have anything with Trump on it,” he said
The restaurant has not thought of a Hillary sandwich yet. If Trump loses, “I will have to eat my words,” said Gibbs. “With all the bologna I bought for the sandwich.”
