Each day Americans eat more than 300 million sandwiches — and have an 18th century English earl to thank.
This perfectly portable food was popularized in England in 1762 by John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich. It seems the earl had a gambling problem. Unwilling to get up from the table to eat, he asked his cook to prepare something he could hold in one hand.
That bit of history could come in handy during National Sandwich Month in August — the perfect time to order one at Café Carmel.
Owned and operated by British transplant Sarah Cook, the charming downtown cafe offers a variety of sandwiches, from chipotle chicken and smoked salmon salad to the classic BLT.
There’s also a veggie panini — grilled to perfection.
For those who like dessert first, visit the cafe early in the month for National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day on Aug. 4. Buy two of Cook’s classic cookies and get the third one free.
Café Carmel has also instituted a 10 percent military discount on all orders. Customers who show their military IDs will receive the discount (7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.) as gratitude for their service.