The Origin Of The Hearty Sailor Sandwich In Virginia
NEWS
By Jonathan Kesh
Richmond, Virginia is popular for an old variant of pastrami on rye sandwich known as the sailor sandwich,
which also features Swiss cheese, knackwurst, and mustard on top.
Local legends say that the sailor sandwich was first cooked up by Richmond-based New York Deli in 1943, when the U.S. Navy officers and sailors were involved in the war effort.
Many of them stopped by the deli for lunch, and the pastrami-knackwurst combo became a hearty favorite associated with the sailors long after World War II ended.
The sandwich may be a spin on the classic corned beef or pastrami on rye, but the version made in Richmond has its own small twist of the knackwurst addition.
