@maine_in_mind: Ask anyone outside Northern New England for an "Italian sandwich" and you'll get genoa salami, capocollo, and provolone on a crusty hard roll with oil and vinegar. But in Maine, an Italian is something entirely unique—and we have Giovanni Amato to thank for inventing it on India Street in Portland back in 1902. Built to feed the dockworkers along the waterfront, the classic Amato’s "Real Italian" set a standard that became a cornerstone of Maine food culture: soft, pillow-like white rolls, boiled ham, American cheese, thin-sliced onions, sour pickles, fresh tomatoes, green peppers, Greek olives, and a heavy drizzle of salad oil with salt and pepper. It’s not fancy, but grabbing a wrapped Italian sandwich—alongside a bag of Humpty Dumpty chips and a Moxie—is a ritual that every Mainer knows by heart, whether you're heading out to the lake, taking a lunch break at a job site, or pulling off the Turnpike for a taste of home. #maine #mainer #mainelife #mainecheck #mainetok

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Tuesday 10 November 2026 14:15:20 GMT