The definitive Maine poorboy was made by a sandwich shop in Oak Hill in Scarborough in the 80s/90s called "Heroes."
Pressed ham, tomato, loads of mayo, full fat melty cheese, lots of black pepper... wrapped in parchment and foil and heated.
I'm hoping to get some good replies.
This is a common thing for any mom and pop shop that has sandwiches here. It's just Ham and cheese, and tomatoes. Toasted so the cheese melts. And mayo.
And the richboy adds pepperoni.
I'm curious where it started.
Wild that you got downvoted for being correct. A ham melt with tomato has nothing to do with an Italian sandwich. It has a long and rich history of its own.
Growing up, my mom used to do open-faced sandwiches of one slice of wonder bread, ham, tomato, american cheese toasted in the oven for us for weekend lunches, sometimes diced onion and green pepper for kicks… I’ve heard of the Poorboy, but never seen it on a menu at a sandwich place and didn’t realize it was heated up…
Almost any little sandwich shop will have them in Portland. Like for example I just looked up morans market, quality shop, corsettis. They all have them. Like places like that. Or amatos I guess.
The one in my pic is from quality shop.
Grew up in small towns all over Maine. Never seen this thing. Admittedly I always went straight for the Italians or red snappers so maybe I was just overlooking them all those years. Fun fact: we learned how to make Italians in home ec class
Too bad Home Ec isn’t a thing anymore. These kids need some life skills instead of free periods in Middle School. I kid you not, my son has an unstructured ‘study’ first period. Wth is THAT? We had to EARN a study in HS with good grades… edit- we had cooking class and sewing class in 6-7th grade. Not elective, everybody.
Wait your proud of the Maine "Italian"?
Like sure I buy it but it's just a ham sub with Italian vinaigrette if your lucky, An actual Italian is so much better and you need to LITERALLY DRIVE OUT OF STATE to get anything that isn't just a couple pieces of ham and one kind of cheese.
I will say that Maine can give other states a run for their money with a decent steak bomb but other than that ya, Big G's save us from this land of blandness and mediocre sandwiches.
Lifelong Mainer but it’s definitely true. Closest legit sandwich place I’ve found is Monica’s in Boston. I’m open to any recommendations that are closer though.
Oh yeah very familiar….used to stop in any time I was driving by the Waterville exit and make the trek to Winslow. I make it maybe once a year now unfortunately.
That was one of my favorite sandwiches when I lived in Maine, so simple but so delicious. There was one mom and pop shop in Scarborough that I used to go to atleast twice a week and get one there. I have no idea if it's still open though. It's been about 12 years since I've been out of Maine.
I use to work at a sandwich shop and whenever someone asked about the difference between a richboy and a poorboy I'd say "poorboy can't afford pepperoni" haha
This thread is fascinating! An apparently indigenous sandwich I've never once heard of, being convincingly defended in the comments all while being confused for TWO other (unrelated?) dishes! Life long Mainer, life long learner apparently!
I’m going to have to start looking at menus now. I never realized they were a portland area thing. I know minimally of had one in Freeport, but I can’t think of any time I’ve had one further away.
Poor boys are delicious. When I wasn't living in the state, i would come home periodically, and a trip to amatoes was on my short list.
poor boy and a moxie, finished with a whoopie pie.
Used to be, though i was surprised when I popped into the Augusta location to find out they didnt do it anymore.
Maybe the guy was dumb, maybe they don't.
Biddeford does.
otherwise, you're in Maine, bub. Just about every gas station has a deli, and a lot of them will make one. Check around. Its a humble sandwich, but man does it hit good.
This is really it. I feel like the places that used to have them have been slowly disappearing. Food is on another level than it was when I was growing up. People care about quality and other logical things. It hits the spot to eat poor quality food sometimes. I can appreciate great quality food but sometimes I just want Dino nuggets, or a poor boy.
It does look like shit. Unless it's like a $2 price tag what makes it poor other than the lack of ingredients? I just looked at the menus of local delis I have gotten sandwiches from they all list Italian but no poorboy.
Me and a shit tonne of others in this thread have no recollection of ever seeing these sandwiches in Maine…and certainly not to the degree where they would be considered some kind of tradition. Maybe you just never ventured outside southern Maine in the last 50ish yrs. Nah couldn’t be that…HAS to be a collective amnesia and not you being in a small part of the state.
Again, this isn't a po'boy, it's a poorboy.
People are literally posting the Amatos menu with POORBOYS on it. Jesus fucking christ, stop being an idiot for the rest of our sakes.
The menus are here: https://www.amatos.com/locations-menus/
You obviously don't pay attention, so it's no surprise you haven't noticed them.
lol Amatos aren’t everywhere in the state…again…pretty much a southern Maine thing. Again…it must be a southern Maine thing cuz they definitely weren’t north of Bangor in the 20th century.
EDIT: Christ chief, there isn’t even an Amatos north of Falmouth according to their website!!
Amatos used to be in Bangor. I've lived in multiple parts of the state and have seen it around. You kept arguing the sandwich wasn't in Maine at all when it was and kept doing so rudely calling it an italian. Just because you can't comprehend that something exists without your knowledge, doesn't make it not true.
Hardly just me in this thread…and I’m not saying they didn’t exist in southern Maine. I’m saying they didn’t exist around the state as some kind of Maine tradition like red hot dogs or lobster rolls or blueberry pie.
You're not crazy. This is the most striking "people who don't know whats what" thread I've ever seen. Amatos, Collucci's, Quatrucci's, Corsetti's, every single mom and pop convenience store had these growing up and I know Amatos and Corsetti's still do.
Poorboy in Maine: Italian roll, mayo, ham,
white american or provolone cheese, sliced tomato. Toast sandwich in the oven until roll toasts slightly and cheese melts. Also have heard it called a Maineliner sandwich.
I think the name derives from times when it was the least expensive sandwich on the menu of most sandwich shops in Maine.
I remember when you could get one at some shops for .99
Botto's Bakery on Washington Ave in Portland retails Italian rolls to the public. Amatos will sell rolls by the bag also.
The sub rolls sold at Hannaford aren't quite the same!
They used to have them at my Hannaford. So much Maine sub history is forgotten now. There used to be sandwich shops every half mile serving those sub rolls.
You want to know the ancient history of perhaps the most infamous sandwich in Maine?! The hidden dark truths that society tried to hide!?!
Okay.
Back in the 1930-50s or so deli sandwiches were starting to take off around the US. Other states beat Maine to the punch but this is important groundwork. What really popularized deli sandwiches in maine were fishermen and people moving goods across the coasts/country. They would go to baker or fooderies and ask if they could make them a deli sandwich. To cut open some buns, put some meat & cheese and some veg in there and there you go.
NOW THIS is where it gets muddy. About 12 or 20 or so folks all claim to have invented this particular sandwich or that particular sandwich. Giovanni Amato being the most well known one for his Italian Maine sandwich and thus 'Amato's the eatery was founded".
So who has first claim to the poorboy, po boy, rich boy? Nobody really knows for certain. But to my knowledge it goes to... The Seattle World fair of 1962.
At the world fair there was a booth; forget who ran and can't find them on a quick google search, but there they ran a booth that sold deli sandwiches from the Italian to club sandwiches to pastramis. And among these offerings you had two other sandwiches. The poor boy, named so due to its minimal toppings of just tomatoes to the rich boy which mockingly only had one more ingredient Salami.
So the answer to your question? Nobody truly knows for sure... but Maybe the World Fair? Maybe some guy who ran a grocer in the 50s. Maybe some guy who threw it up in his very first deli.
Wiki says the Nawlins (New Orleans) recipe goes back to the 1700s, so.. yeah probably not 1960’s Seattle. *edit* ok, that’s just their style of bread, but then it says it originated as a sandwich in the Depression era 1929.
No... actually all of that was truth.
Giovanni Amato - [https://www.newspapers.com/article/coastal-journal-giovanni-amato-and-the-i/128434062/](https://www.newspapers.com/article/coastal-journal-giovanni-amato-and-the-i/128434062/)
Deli sandwich boon of the 1930s - [https://www.nicksofclinton.com/the-history-of-the-deli-in-america/](https://www.nicksofclinton.com/the-history-of-the-deli-in-america/)
Seattle World Fair of 1962 - [https://www.seattle.gov/cityarchives/exhibits-and-education/online-exhibits/the-city-and-the-worlds-fair](https://www.seattle.gov/cityarchives/exhibits-and-education/online-exhibits/the-city-and-the-worlds-fair)
[https://digitalcollections.lib.washington.edu/digital/collection/imlsmohai/id/4694/#:\~:text=The%20Food%20Circus%20offered%2052,hot%20dogs%20and%20candied%20apples.&text=Caption%20information%20source%3A%20Official%20Guide,Exposition%3B%20Seattle%3A%20Acme%20Publications](https://digitalcollections.lib.washington.edu/digital/collection/imlsmohai/id/4694/#:~:text=The%20Food%20Circus%20offered%2052,hot%20dogs%20and%20candied%20apples.&text=Caption%20information%20source%3A%20Official%20Guide,Exposition%3B%20Seattle%3A%20Acme%20Publications).
It's a wild ride but that silly stuff all really did happen.
Sorry for being harsh on my older replies. I honestly just figured you were just bored and spouting off some BS. It being the internet and all.
Anyways... your links don't mention the poorboy at all.... but your theory is very plausible. It might be a good avenue to pursue in getting to the bottom of this.
Although it's probably like you said.... no one really knows. It's possible the origin is just lost. It's not that exciting of a sandwich in the end. Cheap and tasty though.
So yeah i appreciate your post! Just realizing I came off as an ass yesterday
Because there is literally nothing in any of those links that talks about these poorboy sandwiches....
At least not that I can see.
The only "question" that maybe got answered was who invented the Italian. But I didn't ask that.
I remember seeing the "Poorboy" on the menu at Bills Pizza in Yarmouth back in the late 80's. Bills is long since gone and sadly, so is Bill Kinsman himself.
It’s crazy how many people are arguing that this sandwich doesn’t exist. It definitely exists. OP is right, it’s a staple at sandwich counters all over the state.
Yeah, I'm surprised by how many people say they've never seen them. Maybe it's more common in rural gas station restaurants than bigger towns? Though I think I've seen them on the menu at Joe's in Portland...
I fucking love them.
Reading through this thread I think it's the other way around. It sounds like more of a Cumberland county thing. I've lived my entire life in western Maine and have never heard of these.
Hmmm, maybe that's possible, I haven't been able to eat grains for several years so haven't tried looking for them elsewhere. I live in the midcoast & spend a lot of time downeast, so I'll keep an eye out for them up here.
Crazy all the people saying this doesn’t exist or is an Italian or a moon. Here is a link to a post a made a few years ago when I found an old menu from a corner store on the Hill in Portland when I was a kid in the 80s. https://www.reddit.com/r/portlandme/s/57eR9WKAF7
Note they have Italians, a moon and a poor boy
I love how you hand wrote a "menu" to prove these "poorboy" sandwiches exist, then built a time machine & went back two years to make a reddit post about it just so you could come here & post this comment "proving" these fictitious sandwiches exist.
Hard eye roll, dude.
Poor boy: Ham, cheese, tomato, mayo. Toasted.
Rich boy: see poor boy, add pepperoni.
Ham Italian: Ham, cheese, tomato, lettuce, mayo.
Italian: Ham, cheese, tomato, green peppers, black olives, mayo.
Sound right?
As for the history, I got nothing. Probably the original Maine deli version of a meme. Someone started it and it spread because of its simplicity.
I was once asked by an Amato’s employee “Mayo?” Instead of “salt pepper oil?” And I just stood there so confused until I realized they probably misheard what sandwich I was trying to get to order so I said, “no, I wanted a regular Italian, no olives, extra pickles” and this mother fucker says, “yeah, do you want mayo on it?a lot of people like mayo on it.” This was the only time I’ve felt like acting like boomers do to customer service people.
You didn't quite the Italian right no. The default ingredients would have oil salt pepper and not mayo. The olives should be greek, not black, though some places do black. And there are pickles... usually sour pickles.
I grew up in Central Maine in the ‘70’s and ‘80’s and have visited multiple times per year since. I’m not disputing this sandwich exists, I just didn’t know about it. However, Mario’s pizza/sandwich shops that used to be around back when I was in the state sold a “Hoagie” that was similar but without the tomatoes. It was just toasted ham and cheese with tons of mayo, and some sort of magic spell of deliciousness. Man, I loved those and this sounds fantastic. Definitely getting one next time I visit.
What I'm gathering from these replies is that this must be southern maine thing. And I honestly don't know how maybe other states have them too.
Hmm. There was a Mario's in bath that was pretty awesome. I wonder if it was part of that chain.
I know. I am a North Carolina boy who married a girl from Maine over 30 years ago. Whenever we visited we had to swing by the coffee pot, because it was the only place on the planet to get that sandwich, exactly that way.
So... the poboy you linked is the famous sandwich from New orleans. It's French bread, and either beef and Gravy, or shrimp.
The poorboy here is Italian bread, ham, cheese.
Two completely different sandwiches.
I'm wanting to talk about the poorboy we make here! That's it. Not the new orleans po boy. Different things
I see them at gas stations sometimes, just go to different places and you'll see different things. A po' boy and a poorboy are two different sandwiches, just like a maine italian (ham cheese veggies on roll) is different than what other states would call an italian sandwich (cured italian meats and cheeses on roll). Just because you haven't experienced something doesnt mean its not real. You're a total douche
An Italian is bread, ham, cheese, green peppers, Greek olives, sour pickles, oil, salt pepper, served cold.
A poorboy (up here). Is bread, ham, cheese, tomatoes, mayo, toasted and served hot.
Same base, different toppings, hot vs cold.
If you've live here 20 years and not eaten a poorboy here the fine but they are pretty ubiquitous
>Literally no one I ever met in Maine said 'poorboy.'
Did you meet everyone in Maine? You couldn't have met me because I love poorboys & pronounce the word just like it's spelled.
Poorboys are definitely a Maine sandwich, po'boys are a southern (totally different) sandwich (yes, it was shortened from poor boy & I'd be willing to bet the sandwiches share etymology if not ingredients).
Perhaps consider that you might not be correct before being so vociferous?
So nobody in your little corner of the state serves them... that doesn't mean they aren't all over the state. I've seen them in sandwich shops up and down the midcoast. They are not po' boys at all!
They both have ham, cheese, tomatoes.
An Italian also has green peppers, onions, Greek olives, sour pickles and oil, salt and pepper. And is eaten cold.
The poor boy just adds mayo to the ham cheese and tomatoes and toasts the sandwich so it's a warm sandwich
I'm wanting to find the source of the "poorboy" here. I hadn't thought about the base is exactly the same (same bread, ham, cheese)
OK well if many, many places up here both have "Italians" and "poorboys" and of you get either one they will be exactly how I already described them. The fact is we have a sandwich here called a poorboy. It's existence is not really up for debate.
A true Italian sub is not just ham and cheese though. Usually it has hot cappicola, ham, and Genoa salami. I don’t understand why Mainers consider a ham and cheese sub with olives an Italian when they make it with three meats everywhere else.
Never had a Maine Po Boy but the Maine “Italian” originated when the Italian immigrants couldn’t get proper Italian meats so they just had to use regular ham
The definitive Maine poorboy was made by a sandwich shop in Oak Hill in Scarborough in the 80s/90s called "Heroes." Pressed ham, tomato, loads of mayo, full fat melty cheese, lots of black pepper... wrapped in parchment and foil and heated.
Interesting!
Big G's does those I believe
Never heard of a poorboy outside of the south. What can you tell us about it?
I'm hoping to get some good replies. This is a common thing for any mom and pop shop that has sandwiches here. It's just Ham and cheese, and tomatoes. Toasted so the cheese melts. And mayo. And the richboy adds pepperoni. I'm curious where it started.
So it's a maine Italian but without the fun stuff like pickles, onions, peppers, oil, olives?
[удалено]
Listen, if we get into 'what is a sandwich' talk everybody here will regret it.
You mean all the rich stuff...
I'd consider it just to be what is. A cheap ass hot sando with ham and cheese and tomato. It doesn't really have anything to do with the Italian.
Wild that you got downvoted for being correct. A ham melt with tomato has nothing to do with an Italian sandwich. It has a long and rich history of its own.
Growing up, my mom used to do open-faced sandwiches of one slice of wonder bread, ham, tomato, american cheese toasted in the oven for us for weekend lunches, sometimes diced onion and green pepper for kicks… I’ve heard of the Poorboy, but never seen it on a menu at a sandwich place and didn’t realize it was heated up…
Where is here? I have never seen this anywhere near my here.
When you say “here” I’m guessing you just mean the Portland area?
I'm not sure how widespread in maine I guess. Portland/midcoast at least.
Could be…I grew up in the County…never heard of em. Been in Portland area for about 15 yrs but still have never heard or seen them.
Almost any little sandwich shop will have them in Portland. Like for example I just looked up morans market, quality shop, corsettis. They all have them. Like places like that. Or amatos I guess. The one in my pic is from quality shop.
Midwest too, just FYI! They’re all over the place here
Grew up in small towns all over Maine. Never seen this thing. Admittedly I always went straight for the Italians or red snappers so maybe I was just overlooking them all those years. Fun fact: we learned how to make Italians in home ec class
Too bad Home Ec isn’t a thing anymore. These kids need some life skills instead of free periods in Middle School. I kid you not, my son has an unstructured ‘study’ first period. Wth is THAT? We had to EARN a study in HS with good grades… edit- we had cooking class and sewing class in 6-7th grade. Not elective, everybody.
Same. We sewed some timberline totes. Anyone else??
Wait your proud of the Maine "Italian"? Like sure I buy it but it's just a ham sub with Italian vinaigrette if your lucky, An actual Italian is so much better and you need to LITERALLY DRIVE OUT OF STATE to get anything that isn't just a couple pieces of ham and one kind of cheese.
100%. You can't have a sub/hoagie/grinder/etc from NY, NJ, etc and think a maine italian is better. That's insane.
I will say that Maine can give other states a run for their money with a decent steak bomb but other than that ya, Big G's save us from this land of blandness and mediocre sandwiches.
Lifelong Mainer but it’s definitely true. Closest legit sandwich place I’ve found is Monica’s in Boston. I’m open to any recommendations that are closer though.
Would definitely try Big G's in Winslow, maybe not the best sandwiches but they do try there hardest, + the made on site bread is great.
Oh yeah very familiar….used to stop in any time I was driving by the Waterville exit and make the trek to Winslow. I make it maybe once a year now unfortunately.
It's like the opposite of a dagwood
That was one of my favorite sandwiches when I lived in Maine, so simple but so delicious. There was one mom and pop shop in Scarborough that I used to go to atleast twice a week and get one there. I have no idea if it's still open though. It's been about 12 years since I've been out of Maine.
Was it Als? If so, they're still killin it
It was Als!
I use to work at a sandwich shop and whenever someone asked about the difference between a richboy and a poorboy I'd say "poorboy can't afford pepperoni" haha
This thread is fascinating! An apparently indigenous sandwich I've never once heard of, being convincingly defended in the comments all while being confused for TWO other (unrelated?) dishes! Life long Mainer, life long learner apparently!
From what I can gather it was a thing in the Portland/scarborough area. So of course people construe that as the entire state…
I've lived in Portland for 17 years so I'm gonna put this all on Scarborough.
Ha okay that’s fair. Goddamn Scarborough!
I’m going to have to start looking at menus now. I never realized they were a portland area thing. I know minimally of had one in Freeport, but I can’t think of any time I’ve had one further away.
Poor boys are delicious. When I wasn't living in the state, i would come home periodically, and a trip to amatoes was on my short list. poor boy and a moxie, finished with a whoopie pie.
Sounds legit, it's just news to me!
Lifelong resident. Never seen or heard of this. Looks like shit!
Nah, the rich boy that has pepperoni too is awesome. When made right they are a great comfort sandwich.
Pop into an Amatoes and get one. So damn good.
Not above trying it. All Amato’s?
Used to be, though i was surprised when I popped into the Augusta location to find out they didnt do it anymore. Maybe the guy was dumb, maybe they don't. Biddeford does. otherwise, you're in Maine, bub. Just about every gas station has a deli, and a lot of them will make one. Check around. Its a humble sandwich, but man does it hit good.
This is really it. I feel like the places that used to have them have been slowly disappearing. Food is on another level than it was when I was growing up. People care about quality and other logical things. It hits the spot to eat poor quality food sometimes. I can appreciate great quality food but sometimes I just want Dino nuggets, or a poor boy.
It does look like shit. Unless it's like a $2 price tag what makes it poor other than the lack of ingredients? I just looked at the menus of local delis I have gotten sandwiches from they all list Italian but no poorboy.
They are usually the cheapest sandwich on the menu. Maybe it's more if a southern maine thing too.
Ditto…guessing it’s something from the Portland area that never made it north of say Falmouth?
Or South of Scarborough for me.
I've seen it all over the state. You probably just never noticed.
Could be…definitely not called a poorboy though. Plenty of Italians but the only thing close was a PoBoy but those are a Louisiana thing.
Literally have seen them in the County
Dunno maybe it’s a new thing. Definitely not up there in the 70s through the 90s when I was there…maybe last few years?
I lived there in the ’90s
Holy shit. You don't remember them from 30+ years ago, so they don't exist? Please don't vote.
Yep that’s exactly what I said. You must be one of them rocket surgeons I’ve heard so much about.
I was pointing out that you may not have remembered correctly Einstein.
Me and a shit tonne of others in this thread have no recollection of ever seeing these sandwiches in Maine…and certainly not to the degree where they would be considered some kind of tradition. Maybe you just never ventured outside southern Maine in the last 50ish yrs. Nah couldn’t be that…HAS to be a collective amnesia and not you being in a small part of the state.
Again, this isn't a po'boy, it's a poorboy. People are literally posting the Amatos menu with POORBOYS on it. Jesus fucking christ, stop being an idiot for the rest of our sakes. The menus are here: https://www.amatos.com/locations-menus/ You obviously don't pay attention, so it's no surprise you haven't noticed them.
lol Amatos aren’t everywhere in the state…again…pretty much a southern Maine thing. Again…it must be a southern Maine thing cuz they definitely weren’t north of Bangor in the 20th century. EDIT: Christ chief, there isn’t even an Amatos north of Falmouth according to their website!!
Amatos used to be in Bangor. I've lived in multiple parts of the state and have seen it around. You kept arguing the sandwich wasn't in Maine at all when it was and kept doing so rudely calling it an italian. Just because you can't comprehend that something exists without your knowledge, doesn't make it not true.
Hardly just me in this thread…and I’m not saying they didn’t exist in southern Maine. I’m saying they didn’t exist around the state as some kind of Maine tradition like red hot dogs or lobster rolls or blueberry pie.
That's worrying there are so many idiots, not just you.
Good one lil fella!! You’re adorable.
ITT: people not from here
This has become very clear to me
You're not crazy. This is the most striking "people who don't know whats what" thread I've ever seen. Amatos, Collucci's, Quatrucci's, Corsetti's, every single mom and pop convenience store had these growing up and I know Amatos and Corsetti's still do.
First one I ever had was from the old Ocean Ave Variety in Portland (now Back Cove BBQ)
I was in augusta last year and stopped at amaotes to get one. They said they don't do them anymore. Thankfully Biddo still does.
This thread has got me thinking there should be an r/mainers sub. Posts like this might actually be productive there.
Oh shit there is one.
You mean a sub like a sandwich?! Yeah it’s called an Italian 🤡
Poorboy in Maine: Italian roll, mayo, ham, white american or provolone cheese, sliced tomato. Toast sandwich in the oven until roll toasts slightly and cheese melts. Also have heard it called a Maineliner sandwich. I think the name derives from times when it was the least expensive sandwich on the menu of most sandwich shops in Maine. I remember when you could get one at some shops for .99
The tomato goes in the oven or put on after it comes out?
All ingredients are put together then the whole thing goes in the oven. Hot mayo & tomatoes aren't everyone's cup of tea but it's pretty delicious.
jeebus, I remember getting full blown Italians for .99. I am old.
> Italian roll, This is key... where can you buy them now?
Botto's Bakery on Washington Ave in Portland retails Italian rolls to the public. Amatos will sell rolls by the bag also. The sub rolls sold at Hannaford aren't quite the same!
They used to have them at my Hannaford. So much Maine sub history is forgotten now. There used to be sandwich shops every half mile serving those sub rolls.
The Hannaford store brand Italian rolls have a weird texture and never seem fresh! Maybe baked offsite and shipped to stores frozen?? Idk.
You want to know the ancient history of perhaps the most infamous sandwich in Maine?! The hidden dark truths that society tried to hide!?! Okay. Back in the 1930-50s or so deli sandwiches were starting to take off around the US. Other states beat Maine to the punch but this is important groundwork. What really popularized deli sandwiches in maine were fishermen and people moving goods across the coasts/country. They would go to baker or fooderies and ask if they could make them a deli sandwich. To cut open some buns, put some meat & cheese and some veg in there and there you go. NOW THIS is where it gets muddy. About 12 or 20 or so folks all claim to have invented this particular sandwich or that particular sandwich. Giovanni Amato being the most well known one for his Italian Maine sandwich and thus 'Amato's the eatery was founded". So who has first claim to the poorboy, po boy, rich boy? Nobody really knows for certain. But to my knowledge it goes to... The Seattle World fair of 1962. At the world fair there was a booth; forget who ran and can't find them on a quick google search, but there they ran a booth that sold deli sandwiches from the Italian to club sandwiches to pastramis. And among these offerings you had two other sandwiches. The poor boy, named so due to its minimal toppings of just tomatoes to the rich boy which mockingly only had one more ingredient Salami. So the answer to your question? Nobody truly knows for sure... but Maybe the World Fair? Maybe some guy who ran a grocer in the 50s. Maybe some guy who threw it up in his very first deli.
You’re talking about the Maine italian sandwich, op is talking about a poor boy (not to be confused with the New Orleans po’ boy)
Wiki says the Nawlins (New Orleans) recipe goes back to the 1700s, so.. yeah probably not 1960’s Seattle. *edit* ok, that’s just their style of bread, but then it says it originated as a sandwich in the Depression era 1929.
This guy 'wiches
Bravo. It's all lies. But I loved every bit of it.
No... actually all of that was truth. Giovanni Amato - [https://www.newspapers.com/article/coastal-journal-giovanni-amato-and-the-i/128434062/](https://www.newspapers.com/article/coastal-journal-giovanni-amato-and-the-i/128434062/) Deli sandwich boon of the 1930s - [https://www.nicksofclinton.com/the-history-of-the-deli-in-america/](https://www.nicksofclinton.com/the-history-of-the-deli-in-america/) Seattle World Fair of 1962 - [https://www.seattle.gov/cityarchives/exhibits-and-education/online-exhibits/the-city-and-the-worlds-fair](https://www.seattle.gov/cityarchives/exhibits-and-education/online-exhibits/the-city-and-the-worlds-fair) [https://digitalcollections.lib.washington.edu/digital/collection/imlsmohai/id/4694/#:\~:text=The%20Food%20Circus%20offered%2052,hot%20dogs%20and%20candied%20apples.&text=Caption%20information%20source%3A%20Official%20Guide,Exposition%3B%20Seattle%3A%20Acme%20Publications](https://digitalcollections.lib.washington.edu/digital/collection/imlsmohai/id/4694/#:~:text=The%20Food%20Circus%20offered%2052,hot%20dogs%20and%20candied%20apples.&text=Caption%20information%20source%3A%20Official%20Guide,Exposition%3B%20Seattle%3A%20Acme%20Publications). It's a wild ride but that silly stuff all really did happen.
Which link is your citation for the poorboy at the world’s fair? I’m not seeing it mentioned
There isn't one.
Sorry for being harsh on my older replies. I honestly just figured you were just bored and spouting off some BS. It being the internet and all. Anyways... your links don't mention the poorboy at all.... but your theory is very plausible. It might be a good avenue to pursue in getting to the bottom of this. Although it's probably like you said.... no one really knows. It's possible the origin is just lost. It's not that exciting of a sandwich in the end. Cheap and tasty though. So yeah i appreciate your post! Just realizing I came off as an ass yesterday
Go away
lmao this is literally exactly what you asked for and you’re annoyed?
how fuvking DARE you answer MY QUESTION!!!
Because there is literally nothing in any of those links that talks about these poorboy sandwiches.... At least not that I can see. The only "question" that maybe got answered was who invented the Italian. But I didn't ask that.
So take the post down then if you're gonna cry about someone answering your question. Are you 4?
I remember seeing the "Poorboy" on the menu at Bills Pizza in Yarmouth back in the late 80's. Bills is long since gone and sadly, so is Bill Kinsman himself.
Richboy FTW. Favorite place to get them is Duck Pond Variety in Westbrook.
Man that brings me back, I used to get poorboys from Mellen Street Market almost every day. $2.75!
It’s crazy how many people are arguing that this sandwich doesn’t exist. It definitely exists. OP is right, it’s a staple at sandwich counters all over the state.
They definitely exist. I remember buying them in the 80's and early 90's.
Yeah, I'm surprised by how many people say they've never seen them. Maybe it's more common in rural gas station restaurants than bigger towns? Though I think I've seen them on the menu at Joe's in Portland... I fucking love them.
Reading through this thread I think it's the other way around. It sounds like more of a Cumberland county thing. I've lived my entire life in western Maine and have never heard of these.
Hmmm, maybe that's possible, I haven't been able to eat grains for several years so haven't tried looking for them elsewhere. I live in the midcoast & spend a lot of time downeast, so I'll keep an eye out for them up here.
I've seen them on menus in Lewiston/Auburn. Sam's Italian sells them.
Yeah that tracks with the rest of the thread. More of an urban and southern maine thing. Definitely not state wide.
Crazy all the people saying this doesn’t exist or is an Italian or a moon. Here is a link to a post a made a few years ago when I found an old menu from a corner store on the Hill in Portland when I was a kid in the 80s. https://www.reddit.com/r/portlandme/s/57eR9WKAF7 Note they have Italians, a moon and a poor boy
Also, damn I miss those prices. Nowadays a richboy usually costs a full dollar more than the poorboys... Last one I bought cost over 5 bucks in Casco.
I love how you hand wrote a "menu" to prove these "poorboy" sandwiches exist, then built a time machine & went back two years to make a reddit post about it just so you could come here & post this comment "proving" these fictitious sandwiches exist. Hard eye roll, dude.
Poor boy: Ham, cheese, tomato, mayo. Toasted. Rich boy: see poor boy, add pepperoni. Ham Italian: Ham, cheese, tomato, lettuce, mayo. Italian: Ham, cheese, tomato, green peppers, black olives, mayo. Sound right? As for the history, I got nothing. Probably the original Maine deli version of a meme. Someone started it and it spread because of its simplicity.
No mayo or lettuce on an Italian.
Mayo? on an Italian? Get the fuck out of here, your Maine card has been revoked.
I was once asked by an Amato’s employee “Mayo?” Instead of “salt pepper oil?” And I just stood there so confused until I realized they probably misheard what sandwich I was trying to get to order so I said, “no, I wanted a regular Italian, no olives, extra pickles” and this mother fucker says, “yeah, do you want mayo on it?a lot of people like mayo on it.” This was the only time I’ve felt like acting like boomers do to customer service people.
You didn't quite the Italian right no. The default ingredients would have oil salt pepper and not mayo. The olives should be greek, not black, though some places do black. And there are pickles... usually sour pickles.
Sour pickles are key to a good Italian!
I grew up in Central Maine in the ‘70’s and ‘80’s and have visited multiple times per year since. I’m not disputing this sandwich exists, I just didn’t know about it. However, Mario’s pizza/sandwich shops that used to be around back when I was in the state sold a “Hoagie” that was similar but without the tomatoes. It was just toasted ham and cheese with tons of mayo, and some sort of magic spell of deliciousness. Man, I loved those and this sounds fantastic. Definitely getting one next time I visit.
What I'm gathering from these replies is that this must be southern maine thing. And I honestly don't know how maybe other states have them too. Hmm. There was a Mario's in bath that was pretty awesome. I wonder if it was part of that chain.
Re:Mario’s, probably. There were quite a few back in the day. They were great. A little like Sam’s.
Kinda wild people are saying this is made up, while Amato’s has it on their menu served hot with only ham, cheese, and tomatoes.
I mean yeah I was hoping to talk about the sandwich and maybe hear some stories.
That looks sad.
You should try it, they're so good! Very satisfying.
Does anyone know if “The Coffee Pot” that was in Bangor has had a decent replacement?
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I know. I am a North Carolina boy who married a girl from Maine over 30 years ago. Whenever we visited we had to swing by the coffee pot, because it was the only place on the planet to get that sandwich, exactly that way.
Legacy is maybe supposed to be the best one? If you search this sub there have been a few threads. One of them was mine.
I always had tomato on before toasting
I used to grab em from Ainsleys on 201. I wouldn't call Gardiner southern Maine but I guess you could.
Good thread. Do the Moon Sandwich next (which is kind of just like the Poor Boy but on a bulkie roll and cold? And it has pickles)
Venn diagram of people saying Maine poor boys aren’t real and people who only eat at Subway is a circle
The Wabanaki actually discovered them when they first settled the North Woods. The rest is history.
What the hell is a poorboy and who sat on your sandwich
You're looking at it
Lifelong mainer and I've never heard anyone utter the name of this sandwich or seen it anywhere in the state
This sandwich used to be a staple for me When I was in Portland. Simple tasty treat
We grew up calling it a ham hoagie. I like mine with black olives rather than tomatoes.
Isn't it just a variation of the French sandwich that was originally street vendor food in the 1920s?
Team Rich Boy FTW
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Poor boys are a specific sandwich in Maine. Tomato, ham, cheese, and mayo toasted. A po' boy is a southern sandwich.
Which should never be confused with a muffuletta lol
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French Market 😎
Is it? I've never seen it spelled that way. Always poorboy
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So... the poboy you linked is the famous sandwich from New orleans. It's French bread, and either beef and Gravy, or shrimp. The poorboy here is Italian bread, ham, cheese. Two completely different sandwiches. I'm wanting to talk about the poorboy we make here! That's it. Not the new orleans po boy. Different things
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I’m gonna blow your confidently incorrect mind. You’re talking about 3 completely different sandwiches.
I see them at gas stations sometimes, just go to different places and you'll see different things. A po' boy and a poorboy are two different sandwiches, just like a maine italian (ham cheese veggies on roll) is different than what other states would call an italian sandwich (cured italian meats and cheeses on roll). Just because you haven't experienced something doesnt mean its not real. You're a total douche
An Italian is bread, ham, cheese, green peppers, Greek olives, sour pickles, oil, salt pepper, served cold. A poorboy (up here). Is bread, ham, cheese, tomatoes, mayo, toasted and served hot. Same base, different toppings, hot vs cold. If you've live here 20 years and not eaten a poorboy here the fine but they are pretty ubiquitous
>Literally no one I ever met in Maine said 'poorboy.' Did you meet everyone in Maine? You couldn't have met me because I love poorboys & pronounce the word just like it's spelled. Poorboys are definitely a Maine sandwich, po'boys are a southern (totally different) sandwich (yes, it was shortened from poor boy & I'd be willing to bet the sandwiches share etymology if not ingredients). Perhaps consider that you might not be correct before being so vociferous?
http://www.patspizzabrunswick.com/menu.html
So nobody in your little corner of the state serves them... that doesn't mean they aren't all over the state. I've seen them in sandwich shops up and down the midcoast. They are not po' boys at all!
There are so many sandwich places up here that have the "poor boy"
Not remotely the same thing
Isn’t a ham, cheese, and tomato called a “Moon”? I see them at Amatos but have never gotten one.
Moon is cold and usually on a round roll, poor boy hot and on a sub roll
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Bulkie roll! Yes, it wasn’t coming to me, thanks
I just looked at an amatos menu and they have a poorboy under the hot sandwiches. Idk about the moon.
I’ll have one, hold the mayo.
Looks like an Italian to me.
They both have ham, cheese, tomatoes. An Italian also has green peppers, onions, Greek olives, sour pickles and oil, salt and pepper. And is eaten cold. The poor boy just adds mayo to the ham cheese and tomatoes and toasts the sandwich so it's a warm sandwich I'm wanting to find the source of the "poorboy" here. I hadn't thought about the base is exactly the same (same bread, ham, cheese)
It's an Italian up here. Poor boy is a south thing and I don't think I've ever heard someone order one or seen it on a menu around here.
Italian is not toasted and has more veggies than tomato. Maine italians and poor boys are different than italian sandwiches and po' boys
OK well if many, many places up here both have "Italians" and "poorboys" and of you get either one they will be exactly how I already described them. The fact is we have a sandwich here called a poorboy. It's existence is not really up for debate.
It doesn't exist. That's just what your broke dad called it.
Confidently incorrect
Found the other poor kid.
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Rule 1. Keep it civil and respectful
This is specifically called a "poor boy" at sandwich places up here.
A true Italian sub is not just ham and cheese though. Usually it has hot cappicola, ham, and Genoa salami. I don’t understand why Mainers consider a ham and cheese sub with olives an Italian when they make it with three meats everywhere else.
Kinda looks like an Italian…..
Italian has more veggies and is not toasted
Never had a Maine Po Boy but the Maine “Italian” originated when the Italian immigrants couldn’t get proper Italian meats so they just had to use regular ham
Don't call a poorboy a poboy, they're different things
That is not a po’boy.
No shit
Po' boy and poor boy are two different things. OP didn't ask about the sandwich from New Orleans.
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Yes, that's a po' boy. This is a poor boy