This is a fun story which made me crave an Amish Country favorite. Food and Wine magazine decided to pick each state’s best sandwich. Ohio’s winner is the hot bologna and Swiss on a bun. The publication sampled this at a somewhat overlooked spot in Holmes County called Trail.
Trail is known for its “Trail bologna” named for the little hamlet lying between Walnut Creek and Winesburg (not because it has anything to do with hiking food, a la trail mix, as I first thought when I first heard of this meat years ago). The sandwich in question is made at Troyer’s General Store, a historic location which sounds like it itself factored into the bologna and Swiss winning the magazine’s Ohio honors. This is the store (via Amish Country Insider):
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Here’s how the magazine describes the sandwich:
There are other sandwiches in the state that are easy to love, but the nearly primitive hot bologna and swiss on a bun, made to order with serious efficiency at the very historic Troyer’s General Store, has achieved longevity for a reason: its stark simplicity. That, and we’re talking bologna that is really […] delicious. The whole experience—the sandwich, the vintage country store energy, the brusque pair we’ve often found behind the counter, working with extreme efficiency—belongs in a museum.
I can’t say I’ve ever heard a sandwich called “primitive” before, but hey, if the taste is right, who cares? (This also got me wondering what other sandwiches Food and Wine might call primitive and how many of them would land in my top 10. I’m guessing peanut butter and jelly would be at least one “primitive” category among my favorites).
But I digress – back to the sandwich in question. You can have the bologna and swiss in different variations, including fried and with peanut butter and pickles as detailed here. Leann Miller calls the peanut butter and pickles variant the Amish Church Sandwich.
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Ever tried this one? And would you try the Amish Church Sandwich version?
Image credit: Trail Bologna sign – Kimberly McPherson
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Ohio is Full of Bologna
The state of Ohio must be full of bologna! Another great place is the G & R Tavern in Waldo. Where’s Waldo? It’s about 38 miles north of Columbus. Nice, thick fried German bologna with pickles and onions on a hamburger bun. The place is nothing special – a small town tavern – but it’s been written up in several newspapers and travel magazines.
Good to know! I was never a bologna eater growing up (picturing the classic store bought bologna sandwich on white bread, ugh), but this is obviously another story.
Bologna sammiches
Grew up in Pittsburgh. Thick fried Bologna sandwiches were a staple of the Pittsburgh diet.
We liked fries and coleslaw included with tomato and onion.
Now I’m hungry!
Big coleslaw fan but it can vary in quality. I like it slightly sweet.
Ohio Best Sandwich
When they call it ” bologna” are they really referring to “trail bologna” since that is where trail bologna originates? There is a big difference. Though trail is normally eaten cold, I know there is a hot sandwich with swiss cheese. Funny story, when my brother in law had to work in North Carolina he took some trail bologna with him and passed rings out to some of his co-workers. The next day one guy came back to work telling my BIL how terrible it was. Not knowing anything about trail bologna he tried to grill it skin and all.
Funny story there! I would kind of guess they mean the Trail variety if they ate the sandwich at Troyer’s (but I’ve never had it there, mostly at Boyd and Wurthmann).
Baloney sammiches
I grew up in Ohio with fried baloney & cheese sammiches. With Mayo & lettuce. Just this week I told my hubby I was craving them, so that will be our dinner this weekend. Woohoo!!!