Food-related props abound through the ages: Queen Victoria’s consort Prince Albert had several horseradish-filled white sauces named after him (which, to me, just inspires unwelcome visions of their marital bed); Napoleon inspired the sweet Bonaparte’s ribs (which reminds of Marie Antoinette’s famously misunderstood advice to starving peasants: “Let them eat cake!”); and then there are hundreds of bands named after funny-sounding foods.
But one Toronto eatery may be on to something with their Wilco-centric sandwichery, the Sky Blue Sky Sandwich Company. Their entire menu is comprised of carefully crafted sammies named after Wilco tunes (like the Casino Queen, which has slices of smoked turkey topped with a balsamic onion marmalade, bacon and avocado. Yum).
But it wasn’t the usual pure, unadulterated creepy adulation that caused Sky Blue Sky owner Chad Comfort to open shop–it was also revenge.
As the story goes, Comfort was browbeaten by Wilco lead singer Jeff Tweedy for daring to eat a sandwich in His Holiness’ presence while He was performing. (I love it when entertainers single out audience members and humiliate them during shows; stay classy, Jeff).
Comfort may be getting the last bite though, and as they say, revenge is a dish best served cold. Preferably with caramelized onions and sharp cheddar cheese.
TOPICS: Eat to the Beat, Kathleen Willcox