My sisters in-law sent me two Muffulettas from Central Grocery for my birthday yhe other day. we were in the middle of a low carb week but i said F that and dove in.

New Orleans is one of the greatest food destinations in the world, I lived there for almost 2 years while working with 20th Century Fox and the muffuletta sandwich is one of the most quintessential foods in New Orleans. Although many imitations exist, there’s nothing better in my book than the original Central Grocery muffuletta recipe. Although my friend Mike a native says he prefers Napoleon House on Chartres Street better.

According to the Times-Picayune, the muffuletta was created by Salvatore Lupo in 1906:

“It was at his store, Central Grocery Co. on Decatur Street, that Sicilian farmers coming from the French Market would order the main ingredients of the muffuletta and eat them separately. Lupo saw the men trying to balance the large trays of food on their laps and decided to mix all of the ingredients together in a sandwich.”

The muffuletta consists of three integral parts: the muffuletta bread, the Italian meats and cheese, and the venerable olive salad topping.