la.foodblogging

We’re taking on the Monte Cristo sandwiches of L.A., one by one, to find the very best. Our first stop was Astro Family Restaurant, which only rated a 3 out of 5.
The Monte Cristo is most likely a native Californian dish, according to those who research such things. Several cookbooks of the 1920s and 1930s mentioned a ham and cheese sandwich dipped in egg and fried, but it wasn’t until about 1941, according to www.foodtimeline.org, that a Monte Cristo was listed on a menu, at Gordon’s in L.A. The L.A. Times traced it back to the Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego, although this cannot be verified. Today, a Monte Cristo at the Del Coronado is $15.50 and made with brie — perhaps not the traditional recipe, but the blackberry jam is the proper accompaniement. If anyone has a favorite Monte Cristo, please let us know.