A few years ago, some out of town relatives were visiting California and stopped in for a little party at my grandma’s house. I found out later that the real reason for the party was because Grandma wanted to set me up with a distant cousin and make an honest woman outta me. But that’s a whole ‘nother blog post.
I did not get a husband at that particular family reunion, but I left that day with a dream.
About this:
The said relatives had been to the Madonna Inn and raved about the Monte Cristo sandwich. The entire sandwich was deep fried! My skinny little nineteen year old heart just died thinking about that sandwich. A couple years later, when Eric asked where we should go on our honeymoon, I was quick to suggest the Madonna Inn. We went to Jamaica instead. It was fun, but no sandwich.
Over the years, every holiday that came up, I tried to talk Eric into driving me six hours to get that sandwich. Finally, a few months ago, I had a breakthrough. He wanted to take me to Solvang for our anniversary, and to go visit the Hearst Castle while we were there.
As soon as he said Hearst, my eyes lit up. The cousins had also been talking about Hearst Castle that day and for some reason the two were forever linked in my brain. “Can we go to the Madonna Inn?”
We looked it up and it was right on the way.
My mouth started to water. And kept watering for three months.
We talked about our upcoming trip for weeks and I told anyone that would listen about my sandwich. The week before we left, my sis-in-law told me that Disneyland had them too. All this time, I’d been an hour away and didn’t even know it.
When I finally got there, and the sandwich arrived, I spent five minutes photographing it first. The waitress thought I was crazy. Then I texted a photo to my daughters, sis-in-law, and mom saying “I have nothing left to accomplish in life now.”
Mmmmn. Yes, that is powdered sugar. Sounds so wrong, but tastes oh-so-right. Even weirder is the fact that they serve it with jam. Believe it or not, it’s delicious.
We took half of mine back to the hotel to eat for dinner, but four hours later, I was still full.
It’s rare that a woman reaches her dreams at the age of 32, isn’t it? I mean what do I have left to shoot for?
Another sandwich maybe.
What a fun post! And 13 years in the making. You are one tenacious dreamer.
.-= Shelli @ Hopefully Devoted´s last blog ..One Thousand Gifts :: Spring =-.
That is the best looking sandwich EVER!! My mouth is watering looking at it.
.-= Rebecca´s last blog ..Workbox Wednesday =-.
haha! you are too adorable! that sandwich looks amazing!!!! =)
MMMMMM…… Now I need lunch!
.-= Elissa@mythoughtfulspot.net´s last blog ..Earth Day: A conversation with my favorite kindergartener =-.
Bruce has always raved about that sandwich. He said Disneyland’s doesn’t even compare to the one at the Madonna Inn. Every time we go somewhere that has a Monte Cristo sandwich he orders it in hopes of something that comes close, but he has yet to rave about any other Monte Cristo than the one at the Madonna Inn.
Next time you go that way, go to the Apple Farm (it’s even a fun place to stay for an Anniversary get-away) and have the apple brown betty. Yum!!!
.-= Rhonda´s last blog ..Pretty Lips =-.
Well, I feel better about Disneyland now 🙂 Now I want apple brown betty!
I LOVE monte cristos, and that one looks like the best one ever!! YUM!!
I have been to the Madonna Inn, probably longer ago than I care to admit, and had that same sandwich and loved it sooo much! now craving it! I remember the turkey being juicy and the whole thing being perfectly savory and sweet at the same time!!! thanks for the memory reminder, now off to convince my husband we need to head that way!
Oh. My. Granny. That looks amazing. My husband would be making all manner of faces at a meat sandwich served with powdered sugar and jam, but I could totally overlook that. Madonna Inn is now on my list of “must-visit-before-I-die.”
.-= Joy´s last blog ..Awake =-.
Your hubby might not like the sandwich, but he’d like the men’s room. I hear there’s a waterfall/urinal. Not my kind of thing, but the men seem to think it’s pretty cool. 🙂
I read your post way too late at night – I just THOUGHT I wasn’t hungry. After seeing your sandwich I’m not sure anything else will satisfy. I’m tasting it already …
.-= Debi´s last blog ..What Blogging has Taught Me =-.
Ooops! Sorry! If it makes you feel any better, I’m hungry again, too!
I call this ambition…lofty. It looks like a fine idea to me. I was kind of hoping that you would tell us how to make it, but I don’t know how you would begin. I have to admit, I have been weighing a road trip, or just desiring it from afar. That is insane.
Blessings.
Dear Sweet Wonderful lady. I had my very first Monte Chrsto sandwich at Mondana Inn. I lived in Santa Maria and after eating that wonderful sandwich my walk was changed for ever. I always listed to the North because my body/mouth wanted to have more such sandwiches. Yum You can find another good one in Yosimite National Park at the the famous Inn. So now you have another place to visit when you travel and if for no other reason you need to visit this National Park.
I live in a Retirement Center now and travel very little. At dinner one night I foiund Monte Chrsto sandwich on the menue. You cfoud have it grilled or deep fried. Natureally I chose the deep fried because that is the way the Mondanna Inn prepaired it. The young waitress looked distressed when she told me that I could not have it deep fried. Of course I asked why. When she told me the reason I burst out laughing. I knew some staff member had told her to say,”It is not good for you.” I apolgised and said I would take it grilled. It was awful, really awful. It was the first time I had ever had turkey in the sandwich. So I never had it again.
We also have a Cafe in our center so when the sandwich came up on their menue I went to the buffet and had look see. It didn’t look to bad so I tried it again. I would label it a ham/turkey grilled sandwich but it didn’t taste grilled. More like it had been done in the oven or a dry grilled. About this time the Head Cook came into the Cafe and that resulted into a long discussion on the pros and cons of his Monte Christo Sandwich. None of the people involved in this discussion had ever had one with turkey turkey in it and that was the main point we made to the cook. As you can see I came to the computer for research and found we wrong. We will have to humble and say we are sorry.
Thank you for your wonderful site and your love of the Monte Christo Sandwich.
The pictures will enable me to help our cook improve his MCS.
Sincerely
Mary Lee Smi
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