• Sandwich Rock
• Profile

How would we describe Hot Tuna?  Let's put it this way, if the Grateful Dead were a Sandwich, they would probably be called Hot Tuna.  They are a great band, started by former Jefferson Airplane members Jorma Kaukonen (guitarist/vocals) and Jack Casady (bassist) in 1969¹. 

Humble Beginnings

It began as a side project to Jefferson Airplane, intended to mark time while Grace Slick recovered from throat node surgery that had left her unable to perform. The band's name came from someone Jorma Kaukonen referred to as a "witty wag" who called out, "hot tuna" after hearing the line 'What's that smell like fish, oh baby,' from the song "Keep On Truckin'."¹

Currently, Jorma Kaukonen and Vanessa Kaukonen own what is called The Fur Peace Ranch, located in Southeast Ohio, in Meigs County.³  They offer a series of courses including guitar playing and song writing. 

In addition, Jorma currently has a Quarantine Concert Series every Saturday night at 8 pm on Youtube.⁴   Check out their Youtube channel, the Quarantine Concerts are pretty amazing.

Bonus Videos

Now, here's the mellowest background music to play in your gazebo while cooking grilled hamburgers on an early Sunday afternoon.

The Water Song by Hot Tuna (1972)



Fire up that grill in the backyard, here's another classic Hot Tuna song, "True Religion".

True Religion by Hot Tuna (1972)

• Sandwich Sports
• Sports Rank

With eating legends such as Geoffery Esper, Badlands Booker, and Joey Chestnut competing for the 2021 Pepperoni Roll Eating Championship, it was guaranteed to be a riveting event.  Esper and Chestnut have been a thorn in each other's side for years, so this was another chapter in their rivalry, as they fought each other to the bitter end. 

Coming Down To The Wire

As the final seconds ticked away, reigning Champion Joey Chestnut was able to protect his crown by eating 33 pepperoni rolls in 10 minutes, while the 2017 Champion, Geoffery Esper, finished a close second with 30.5 rolls.

It was the 10th Annual Pepperoni Roll Eating World Championship held in Fairmont, West Virginia, and we wanted to explore the history behind the event.  As usual, we couldn't find an easy-to-read list of previous Pepperoni Roll Eating Champions, and so once again... we created our own.

Pepperoni Roll Eating Championship Winner's List

Note:  Any cell with the dash symbol (-) denotes an empty value.

Note:  In 2018, MLE was excluded from the event, so only local contenstants attended the competition.¹

The Pepperoni Roll Eating World Championship Belt

We've tried to determine through grainy photographs what the West Virginia Three Rivers Festival "Pepperoni Roll Eating World Championship Belt" looks like, and we were able to find two recent photographs. 


(Updated 7/8/2022)

• Sandwich Holidays

Celebrated every year on May 28th.  Once again, it appears to be another way for restaurants to offer special promotions and discounts for hamburgers.  During this time of year, almost every fast food restaurant that serves hamburgers will offer special deals (such as two-for-one) and coupons.  The origin of the holiday is unknown.

Who invented the Hamburger?  

The origin of the hamburger is unclear, with its invention thought to have occurred in the United States and commonly attributed to either Charlie Nagreen, Frank and Charles Menches, Oscar Weber Bilby, Fletcher Davis, or Louis Lassen.  White Castle traces the origin of the hamburger to Hamburg, Germany with its invention by Otto Kuase.  However, it gained national recognition at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair when the New York Tribune referred to the hamburger as "the innovation of a food vendor on the pike".  No conclusive argument has ever ended the dispute over invention. An article from ABC News sums up: "One problem is that there is little written history.  Another issue is that the spread of the burger happened largely at the World's Fair, from tiny vendors that came and went in an instant. And it is entirely possible that more than one person came up with the idea at the same time in different parts of the country."

When Is National Hamburger Day?

Sometimes it is difficult to remember this special Sandwich Holiday, so we have created a table that lists every National Hamburger Day for the next 25 years!

National Hamburger Day Dates (for the next 25 years)

• Sandwich Culture
• USA

Through today's modern lense, the idea of naming a town "Sandwich" may seem absurd.  However, the Sandwich name itself stretches back over 1,000 years.  In fact, they can trace it back to England as far as 851 A.D., when Sandwich, Kent was referred to as "Sondwic".^*

As for the edible sandwich, we can trace its roots to 1762, when John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich, was playing all night at the card table.  He didn't want to leave his seat, so he asked his cook to bring something simple to eat.  His cook's ingenius creation, two pieces of bread with meat in the middle, proved to be so popular, they named it after the Earl of Sandwich.  However, where did the Earl get his name?  From the Town of Sandwich, Kent, of course.  So, it was the edible sandwich named after the town, not the other way around.

So, in honor of all the Sandwich Towns around the world, we have created our list of Top 5 Towns Named Sandwich (in no particular order).

Top 5 Towns Named Sandwich

Sandwich (Illinois, USA)

Sandwich is a city located an hour west of Chicago, split between DeKalb and Kendall counties, and was founded in 1859.  After being successful in his efforts to get a railroad stop created in the area, "Long John" Wentworth was given the honor of naming the new town.  He named after his hometown of Sandwich, New Hampshire.  One of the notable things about Sandwich, Illinois is its annual Sandwich County Fair, which is held the week after Labor Day (from Wednesday to Sunday).

Sandwich (Massachusetts, USA)

Sandwich, the oldest town on Cape Cod, was incorporated in Massachusetts in 1639, along the east coast of the United States.  It was named after Sandwich, Kent in England.  Sandwich, MA is also the Cape Cod Bay entrance to the Cape Cod Canal, which was built through the town in 1909.  There is a lot of early American history in Sandwich, and many historical landmarks to visit there.

Sandwich (New Hampshire, USA)

Sandwich, which includes the villages of Center Sanwich and North Sandwich, was chartered in 1963 by Colonial Governor Benning Wentworth,  and was named in honor of John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich (also considered to be the inventor of the sandwich).  With a population of around 1,300 people, and every fall they host the Sandwich Fair, which started in 1909.  To the west is the Squam Mountains, they have the Sandwich Range in the North, and Sandwich Mountain (aka Sandwich Dome) is the highest point in town.  Also, Squam Lake is in the southwestern corner, which was the location of the movie "On Golden Pond".

Old Sandwich Towne (Windsor, Ontario, Canada)

Olde Sandwich Towne (Old Sandwich Town) is situated on the US-Canadian border of the Detroit River, and was established in 1797.  It has a very fascinating and complicated history.  In 1858, Sandwich was formally recognized as an offical town.  However, in 1935 Olde Sandwich Towne was combined with East Windsor, Windsor, and Walkerville to create the city of Windsor, Ontario.  As of today, it is considered to be a neighborhood of the city of Windsor.

Sandwich (Kent, England)

Sandwich (Sondwic, Sandwic, Sandwice), which traces its orgins back over 1,000 years, is located in the Dover District of Ket, south-east England.  It is part of The Confederation of Cinque Ports, which means five ports, and consists of Hastings, New Romney (Rye), Hythe, Dover, and Sandwich.  It is home to Sandwich Bay, which borders two world-class golf courses, The Royal St. George and Prince's Golf Clubs.  John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich, derived part of his title from the town's name.  Every year, they have an annual festival period towards the end of August, which include european markets, various parades, and even concerts.

So, as you can see, the noble history of the name Sandwich goes far beyond the reaches of an edible treat.  Maybe someday, historians will find more evidence of where the name truly originated.  Until then, we can visit these glorious towns and all the history and culture they have to offer.


^* Note:  All References are listed in the chart above.

• Restaurant Reviews
• Taiwan
• Sandwich Reviews

We have tried Grilled Cheese Sandwiches around the world, but the 3-Cheese Grilled Cheese Sandwich at the Toasteria Cafe' in Taipei is in a league of its own.  Once a small little sandwich stand less than a mile away, now they have a full scale restaurant that is packed almost everyday.

Sandwich Long Lost

On a sad note, however, recently they changed their menu and took our favorite sandwich off and replaced it with another.  There was a 3-Cheese Grilled Cheese and a Spicy Grilled Cheese sandwich that tasted like they were from another planet.  Sometimes after eating them, we could feel ourselves literally floating into heaven. 

So, when they took our favorite two sandwiches away, we were heartbroken.  While their other grilled sandwiches are also special, and still delicious, we've had to downgrade our Last Sandwich recommendation from a "Yes" to a "Maybe". 

Awaiting The Return

Hopefully, someday they will add our beloved 3-Cheese Grilled Cheese and Spicy Grilled Cheese Sandwiches back to the menu again.  Once again, those two sandwiches were out of this galaxy, and we still dream about them often.  

The lesson is that if you have a favorite sandwich, try to enjoy it as much as you can, because it can be taken away from you at any time.