Yakitori Totto: Initial Impressions (It's Absolutely Delicious!)

The Japanese term "Yakitori" roughly translates as "grilled chicken," and it's said to extend back to at least the 17th century. In general, small pieces of meat, poultry or seafood are placed onto kushi (skewers), seasoned with tare sauce, and grilled over a charcoal fire. 

The first mentions of yakitori in U.S. newspapers occurred in 1953, due to it being served at various functions at local Japanese embassies. The Knoxville News-Sentinel (TN), May 9, 1953, noted, “Yakitori is chicken strung on little skewers that look like knitting needles,..” The Daily Telegram (WI), September 11, 1953, mentioned that Crown Prince Akihito hosted a party at the embassy in Washington and served  “Yakitori—Chicken and green onions broiled over charcoal.” 

A recipe was then provided by the Chicago Tribune (IL), February 15, 1956. The article stated yakitori is “broiled skewered chicken and scallions, and the sauce is made with sake.” It then continued, “Yakitori. The name means broiled chicken, and while the dish usually is prepared over a charcoal fire outdoors, it may be prepared in an oven broiler.” In addition with the basic recipe, a simple recipe for the sauce was also given, mixing ¾ cup soy sauce, ¼ cup sugar and ¾ cup sake.

The first U.S. restaurants to serve yakitori started to appear around the late 1950s. For example, the Honolulu Star-Bulletin (HI), May 10, 1957, printed an advertisement for the Tokyo-Oasis, a café and night club that served yakitori. The San Francisco Chronicle (CA), January 18, 1959, noted that the Nikko restaurant served yakitori.  

Another yakitori recipe, including the sauce, appeared in the Fort Lauderdale News (FL), December 24, 1959. Although the yakitori was generally prepared as in the prior recipe, the sauce was different, requiring a cup chicken soup, ½ cup soy sauce, 2 teaspoons sugar, 2 teaspoons salt, 2 teaspoons vinegar, 1 button of garlic, ginger and red pepper.

 

Today, yakitori is available in a variety of restaurants, including some that specialize in this Japanese treat. One such spot, Yakitori Totto, opened in December 2021 at Assembly Row in Somerville. The original Yakitori Totto opened in New York City in 2003, and the Somerville restaurant is only their 

second location. Over the last few weeks, I've dined twice at Yakitori Totto and both visits were impressive, with amazing food. 

It's a medium-sized restaurant with a variety of tables as well as counter seating, where you can watch the cooks grilling the food. The restaurant is open for both lunch and dinner, and the menu is the same at both times. On my second visit, on a Saturday night, the restaurant was busy but they didn't try to rush us. 

The Drinks menu is relatively small with 6 Beers ($6-$8), 3 Japanese whiskeys ($10-$40), 

4 Wines (2 white, 2 red, $35-$50), and 11 Sakes (from $7.50 for a one-cup to $300 for a high-end bottle), and a variety of non-alcoholic drinks. On one visit, I was intrigued by the Forgotten Fortune Junmai ($75) but unfortunately it was out of stock. So, we opted for the Kaku Rei Junmai Daiginjo ($120), although I strongly suspect it wasn't actually a Junmai. The back label didn't indicate it was a Junmai, and some online research also tends to indicate it probably was a Honjozo rather than a Junmai. 

The Sake was produced by the Aoki Brewery, which was founded in 1717, and made from the famed Yamada Nishika rice, which was milled down to 48%. It was an excellent Sake, with delicious peach and apple flavors, a touch of steamed rice, a nice body, and a lengthy finish. It was smooth and tasty, and went well with the grilled meats.  

The Food menu has plenty of choices, and not just Yakitori. You can begin with Cold Appetizers, 10 choices for $7-$12, like Tako Wasa (marinated raw octopus) and Zaru Tofu (house made organic tofu). Or opt for some Hot Appetizers, 11 choices for $4-$12, such as Nasu Mizore Gaku (deep fried eggplant and mocha) and Fried Nankotsu (deep fried chicken knee bones). 

The Yakitori options include Chicken, Limited Chicken, Pork, Totto Original, Beef, Vegetables, and Seafood, generally priced $3-$11 with many around $4-$5. There are also seven choices for Entrees, priced $12-$29, including items like Oyako Don (chicken and egg over rice), Prime Roasted Beef Don, and Una-Ju (barbecue eel over rice). Finally, there's 6 Sweets options, priced $5.50-$10, including Matcha Tea Affogato, Ice Banana, and Mochi Ice Cream. 

Overall, there's plenty of variety, and everyone should be able to find dishes that appeal to their preferences, although it's also worthwhile to experiment and try some different dishes, which are more difficult to find elsewhere. How many restaurants do you know that serve Hiza Nankotsu, the soft knee bone of the chicken?

From the Cold Appetizers, the Maguro Zuke ($11) is a dish of tuna sashimi in a garlic infused, soy sauce, with wasabi. Silky and rich tuna slices, enhanced by the garlic and soy. What's not to love?

I also checked out several of the Hot Appetizers, including the Jidori Karaage ($9), Japanese style fried chicken, which comes with your choice of regular or sweet/spicy sauce. I opted for the sweet/spicy sauce, and the dish was excellent, with fresh, crispy pieces of fried chicken, with a well-balanced sauce and a nice touch of heat. These were some of the best karaage I've tasted and I highly recommend them.

The Gyoza ($10) are pork and shiitake dumplings, which are hand made fresh daily. You don't see dumplings with such a crispy coating that often, and they were amply filled with a tasty blend of pork and mushrooms. A fine way to begin your lunch or dinner.

I've always been a fan of Tamago Nigiri, and I've heard that in Japan, some assess the quality of a Sushi restaurant by how well they make their Tamago. The Dashi Maki Tamago ($9), is said to be a "Japanese soft rolled omelette." I wasn't expecting so many pieces of thick tamago, which was fresh, moist, eggy and flavorful. These felt like they were freshly made that day, and not pre-made tamago which you commonly find at many local sushi spots. This may seem like a simple dish, but there's more complexity to it than you realize. 

The Agedashi Tofu ($9) consists of deep fried tofu in a dashi broth. This dish has two large squares of fried tofu, which have a thin fried skin atop them. They were creamy and rich, enhanced by the umami of the dashi broth, giving the tofu more flavor. I'm very picky about tofu, and this was definitely a winner.

One of my favorite appetizers was the Tori Dango ($12), chicken meatballs covered with seasoned mocha rice. I liked the slightly spiky exterior, which provided an excellent crunch, and the meatballs were firm, meaty and flavorful. There was a touch of sweetness to the crispy rice coating and a slight dip of soy sauce, added some umami to the dish. Highly recommended! 

The Buta No Kakuni ($12) presents braised pork belly in soy sauce and dashi, with a hard boiled egg. The silky pork belly provided a nice blend of meat and fat, and again offered plenty of umami. The egg was a tasty addition, making this almost a breakfast dish, one I would enjoy any morning. 

The Miso Soup ($4) was made with miso nameko mushrooms and tofu, and the broth was excellent, complex and flavorful. Even dishes such as this, which you can find at almost any Japanese restaurant, are elevated in quality and flavor here. 

All of the Yakitori was delicious (as well as aesthetically pleasing) and I'm not going to go into detail on all of them, just the ones that especially stood out to me.  

Yaki Nasu Miso Dengaku ($4), eggplant with miso paste

"Onigiri, the rice balls sold from convenience stores and packed for school lunches, become a different kind of treat at the yakitori shop. As cooks rotate skewers of meat and vegetables over hot charcoal, they also throw unwrapped, unfilled onigiri on the grill, basting them with a dead simple sauce until they’re smoky and crispy on the outside. They’re especially tasty after a little too much sake."

--Mastering the Art of Japanese Home Cooking by Masaharu Morimoto. 

The Yaki Onigiri ($4.50), a grilled rice ball with your choice of soy, miso or yakitori sauce, was superb! I opted for the yakitori sauce, and loved the crispy outer rice, accented with sesame seeds and enhanced by the tare sauce. I ordered this on both visits, and loved it both times. It might be just rice, but it's prepared so well that it delights the palate.

Enoki Bacon ($5), bacon-wrapped mushrooms. Yum!

On the left is the Kalbi ($5.50), short ribs, and on the right is Negima ($4), chicken breast and scallions).

The Kawa ($4), chicken skin, is a pure delight, crispy, chewy, and flavorful. Anthony Bourdain previously raved about this chicken skin, and I understand why.

Wagyu Beef ($11) 

The One And Only ($7) is a Japanese Waygu Beef Meatball, with a great crunchy exterior, seared well, and a moist and meaty interior. Decadent and delicious.

Ton Toro ($4), pork neck.

Tomato ($3), a very simple skewer, but I loved biting into the tomato in my mouth, feeling the hot juices squirt inside. 

The Combo Mambo ($8) has eel, shrimp and scallop, a fine way to taste a few different types of seafood.

 Another simple and tasty skewer. Garlic ($3) with miso.

On the left is Bonchiri ($4.50), chicken tail, and on the right is Momo ($4), chicken thigh. Both are excellent, with the thigh being so tender and flavorful. The chicken tail would surprise you with its tender and moist taste. It's not the type of skewer you might consider at first, but it's worthwhile to experiment with some different chicken parts, and I suspect you'll find them delicious. 

Overall, Yakitori Totto has incredible and scrumptious food, from its simplest skewers to its more complex, home-made dishes. It is reasonably priced, especially considering the quality of the dishes, and you can dine there inexpensively if you select only a few skewers, or you can splurge and experience many different dishes. I'd recommend trying something new when you dine there, to expand your culinary palate. I'll be returning there soon, looking forward to trying more of their cuisine. 

China Sky: A Stellar Crispy Sesame Chicken

Somewhat hidden in Winchester center, off the main roads and to the back of other businesses, China Sky has been around since 2005, serving an extensive variety of Chinese and Japanese dishes. With over twenty years in business, they're a good-sized restaurant, with multiple dining areas and a bar. They have a full alcohol menu, with many classic cocktails, from Mai Tais to Scorpion Bowls (for one or two). You can dine-in or get take-out/delivery. 

I've dined there many times over the years, although I hadn't been there for a few years, mostly due to the pandemic. I'd always enjoyed my meals there and decided to stop there again a couple times recently and I wasn't disappointed. The quality of the food hadn't diminished, and I acquired a new appreciation for a couple of their dishes. 

I strongly recommend this restaurant and want to highlight a few items from my recent visits. 

I love Sweet Potato Maki ($5.50), and frequently order it whenever it's available. This was a tasty dish; the nice crunch from the tempura, the slight sweetness of the potato, the mild tang of the sauce. A good example of how this maki should be created.

The Chicken Soong ($11.95) is a dish of minced chicken & vegetables served with lettuce leaves and hoisin sauce. With an ample amount of chicken, the mix was flavorful, and the lettuce leaves were fresh and crisp. This may be a more healthy dish, but it's still tasty. 

The stellar dish of my visits though was the Crispy Sesame Chicken ($15.65), "white meat chicken with lightly fried lotus flour batter and tossed in bright sweet, smokey and savory sesame sauce." Frankly, this is the best iteration of this dish that I can recall eating in many years. I enjoyed it on both of my recent visits and it was consistently delicious on both occasions. Why was it so damn good?

First, the lotus flour coating was crispy and thin, not the overly thick coating you often encounter with this dish. Sometimes, you find that the coating is thicker than the amount of chicken within. Second, the chicken was moist, tender and ample. There was much more chicken in this dish than you commonly find in similar ones at other Chinese restaurants. Third, the sauce was fresh, flavorful and complex, not the thick, goopy and overly sweet sauce you find at other spots. All three elements combined to create a delicious and compelling dish. Highly Recommended!

Now, I need to return to check out the Crispy Sesame Beef!

Have you dined at China Sky? Your thoughts?

New Sampan Article: The China Pavilion Remembered

The most interesting feature of Chinese life to me was that on board their boats, or sampans, as they are called....Upon these boats live whole families of three and even four generations."

--The Fall River Daily Herald, November 20, 1888

For over a year, I've been contributing to Sampan, the only bilingual Chinese-English newspaper in New England. It is published in print as well as online, available in both Chinese and English. I've previously written thirty articles for Sampan, and you can find links here. 

My newest article, The China Pavilion Remembered, is now available in the new issue of Sampan. There's an empty lot on Hudson Street in Chinatown, and at the end of the lot is 16 Hudson Street, a building which once housed the Ginza Restaurant. On the exterior wall of this building, facing the empty lot, is a sign for the China Pavilion. This restaurant doesn't exist any longer although their sign remains. It’s an intriguing piece of history which triggers a desire to know more about this former restaurant. Read my full article to learn more about this intriguing sign and restaurant. 

What is a "sampan?" The newspaper's site states, "A sampan is a popular river boat in traditional China. This small but useful vessel, by transporting cargo from large boats to the village ports, creates a channel of communication among villages." And like that type of boat, Sampan delivers news and information all across New England, and "acts a bridge between Asian American community organizations and individuals in the Greater Boston area."

Sampan, which was founded in 1972, is published by the nonprofit Asian American Civic Association, "The newspaper covers topics that are usually overlooked by the mainstream press, such as key immigration legislation, civil rights, housing, education, day-care services and union activities. These issues are crucial to the well-being of Asian immigrants, refugees, low-income families as well as individuals who are not proficient in the English language."

There is plenty of interest in Sampan which will appeal to all types of readers, from restaurant reviews to historical articles, from vital news stories to travel items. In these current days when racism and prejudice against Asians and their restaurants is high, it's more important than ever that accurate information about the Asian community is disseminated and promoted. We need to combat the irrational prejudices that some possess, and support our Asian communities just as we would support any other element of our overall community. We are all important aspects of a whole, and we need to stand together.

Support Sampan! 

Thursday Sips & Nibbles

I'm back again with a new edition of Sips & Nibbles, my regular column where I highlight some interesting, upcoming food and drink events. I hope everyone dines out safely, tips well and are nice to their servers.
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1) Dine Out Boston is back for its Spring edition, from March 13 through 26, with well over 100 participating restaurants. Presented by the Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau (GBCVB), and in partnership with Open Table, this two-week culinary celebration provides diners an opportunity to enjoy special deals at restaurants across Greater Boston and its suburbs. Restaurateurs receive a welcomed influx of business and the chance to bring in new patrons to their establishments.

"As the warmer weather approaches, we encourage visitors and residents alike to experience our signature culinary program," said Martha J. Sheridan, President & CEO of the GBCVB. “Diners should take advantage of this special occasion to dine out at their favorite restaurants and try new ones as we collectively endeavor to assist the restaurant industry in its ongoing recovery.”

Participating restaurants will offer prix fixe menus for lunch and dinner, with many offering takeout options as well. Participating restaurants select one of three price points and customize their lunch and dinner menus: lunch for $22, $27 or $32 and dinner for $36, $41 or $46. Restaurants can offer as many courses as they desire at their selected price. To further support the recovery of local restaurants, menu prices have nominally increased for the first time in nearly a decade.

Visit DineOutBoston.com to browse menus and make reservations. I strongly recommend you review the various menus as certain restaurants offer much better deals or more interesting meals than some.

2) This Friday, March 4, the Rochambeau Bakery Pop-Up Series will play host to Cósmica's Chef Ryan Skeen. These pop-ups feature a different local partner on the first Friday of every month through April. From 8 to 11 a.m., guests will be able to enjoy each pop-up’s unique bakery offerings in the cafe, or as take-away.

Ryan's pop-up bakery menu will feature:
Bruleed French toast with berry compote and whip cream- $15
Avocado toast with egg, pickled cauliflower, radish, tomato, sesame, and smoked salmon, or tuna tartare- $18
Chorizo & eggs with crispy potato, onion, and cheese served with salsa ranchera- $15
Potato, eggs, onion, refried beans, cheese, served with salsa ranchera- $13

Reservations are not required, walk-in only. 

3) Kane’s Donuts is ‘going green’ in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day, with their March flavors of the month. Kane’s is rolling out their famous dough to craft three decadent flavors of the month for March: the Peppermint Patty Donut, the Pistachio Glazed Donut, and the Soft Jelly Stick.

The Peppermint Patty Donut is a rich chocolate cake style donut, frosted with Kane’s decadent chocolate frosting, and striped with just the right amount of green and white peppermint frosting. The Pistachio Glazed Donut is crafted from Kane’s airy yeast donut smothered in their signature honey glaze that has been blended with crushed, roasted pistachios, then topped with a sprinkle of whole roasted pistachios. The Soft Jelly Stick is a fluffy yeast stick filled with real black raspberry jelly and tossed in granulated sugar.

The Mosaic Sandwich: The First Double Decker?

One of the most famous double decker sandwiches is the iconic Club Sandwich. In my recent History of the Club Sandwich, I showed that this sandwich started out, at least as early as 1889, using only two slices of bread. The first printed recipe for the club sandwich to include a third slice of bread didn't appear until 1901. Despite this appearance, plenty of club sandwich recipes would appear during the next twenty years calling for only two slices of bread.

The club sandwich wasn't the first double decker sandwich, and that honor might go to the Mosaic Sandwich, although most people probably have never heard of it. Some recipes for the Mosaic sandwich even called for more than three slices of bread. It's also important to note that nearly all of the Mosaic recipes do not call for toast, just sliced bread, a major difference from the club sandwich.

The first reference I found to the Mosaic sandwich was in Ladies Home Journal, vol. 16, June, 1899, which stated, “The Mosaic sandwich is both new and wholesome. It is made by cutting white and whole meal bread into thin slices, spreading with butter, covering a white slice with chopped beef, placing over it a slice of the brown bread, then beef, then white bread, pressing all together and cutting into strips the length of the slice and an inch wide." 

The key to the Mosaic sandwich is the use of different colored breads, like white and wheat, and using at least three slices. Although chopped beef is the filling for this recipe, the nature of the fillings would vary over the years, and never seemed to evolve into a standard, which might be one of the reasons why it never became an iconic sandwich. 

The New York Tribune (NY), June 22, 1903, mentioned, “Mosaic sandwiches are those in which slices of entire, white, wheat and brown bread are used. Spread with butter and press together so that the colors contrast.” This brief note doesn't state which fillings were used. 

A little more information was presented by the Philadelphia Inquirer (PA), July 19, 1903, which printed, “The Mosaic sandwich is a novelty to many, made of white and brown or whole wheat bread. The first piece is of white, covered with filling, then a slice of brown, and last a white slice is added. Any kind of filling is used." We see then that the nature of the fillings wasn't important, just the alternating color of the breads. 

A sandwich menu was offered in an advertisement in The Appeal (MN), September 2, 1905, and it noted that a Mosaic sandwich cost 25 cents, the same as a club sandwich.  

Was the Mosaic sandwich of Russian origin? The Buffalo Morning Express (NY), August 17, 1906, wrote that it was, noting, “…the Mosaic sandwich which never fails to make its appearance at all social functions in the real of the Czar,…” However, I have been unable to find any supporting evidence to support this assertion. No other source I found claimed that the Mosaic originated in Russia. 

This article also provided a recipe for the Mosaic: “Take an almost paper-thin slice of pumpernickel, and butter it sparingly; upon it place an almost equally thin slice of ham, and, over that, a slice of white bread, buttered on both sides. Upon the white bread spread a layer of caviar, and over this put another slice of pumpernickel, both sides of which must also be buttered; then, in the following rotation, a slice of chicken, a slice of white bread, buttered, a layer of cream cheese, and another slice of pumpernickel.” The sandwich is then “.., put into a press, where it is allowed to remain, under a heavy weight, for more than half an hour. When brought to the table it is cut in perpendicular slices with a sharp knife.” 

It's interesting that this sandwich requires five slices of bread, three pumpernickel and two white. The fillings include ham, butter, caviar, chicken, and cream cheese, and the recipe does have a Russian flair, but this recipe wouldn't be repeated in future newspapers or cook books. This is also the first recipe to mention how the sandwich is placed under a weight to make it thinner, and thus better able to be eaten as a sandwich. This advice would be common in future recipes. 

Briefly, the Pacific Commercial Advertiser (HI), July 18, 1909, stated, “For mosaic sandwiches use a slice each of entire wheat, white and brown bread. Spread with butter and press together so the colors will contrast.”

The first cook book with a recipe for the Mosaic sandwich was likely The Up-To-Date Sandwich Book: 400 Ways To Make a Sandwich (1909) by Eva Green Fuller, which actually had two recipes for this sandwich. First, there was, “Mosaic Sandwich. White, brown and graham bread are used for this sandwich. Cut the slices thin and spread with green butter. The butter is made by putting cold boiled spinach through a sieve, season with finely chopped parsley and capers, and mix smooth with creamed butter. Put slices together.” 

The second recipe stated, “Mosaic Sandwich. Cut two slices each of white and dark graham bread; cream one-quarter cup of batter until white. Spread a slice of white bread with the creamed butter, then place a slice of graham bread on it; then spread graham bread with cream butter; repeat. Place a light weight on all four slices. When butter hardens remove the weight, then cut in thin slices downward.” 

Both of these recipes basically use only butter as a filling, very simple items, which might have appealed to people without the money to purchase more substantial ingredients, such as meat or poultry. 

Another cookbook, Tried and True: Five Hundred Recipes With Practical Culinary Suggestions (1909) by Carolyn Putnam Webber, presented a different recipe, “Mosaic Sandwich. Cut four slices of white and five of graham bread, one-half inch in thickness, spread with creamed cheese, a slice of white, place on it a slice of graham, spread with cheese and nuts or olives, place on it a slice of white and repeat process, twice using graham, white or graham three times. Place under weight. After a while combine the three and press again before cutting.” 

This recipe used 9 slices of bread!! Does any sandwich really need that many slices of bread? The possible fillings included creamed cheese, nuts and olives. 

The Twentieth Century Cook Book (1914) published by the Twentieth Century Club of Berkeley had another recipe, “Mosaic Sandwich. Cut 3 slice each of white and dark graham bread. Spread a slice of white bread with creamed butter and place a slice of graham bread on it. Now spread graham with creamed butter and place on a slice of white. Repeat this process, beginning with graham. Put both piles in a cool place with a light weight on them. When the butter has become hardened, trim each pile even, cut each pile in 3 1/2 -inch slices. Spread with creamed butter and put together so that a white block will alternate with a graham one. Put under weight in a cool place and when butter is hardened cut in this slices.” 

This hearkens back to the previous recipes which called for only butter as a filling, although it also calls for six slices of bread. The sandwich is supposed to be pressed again, with a weight, to make it thinner. 

A different recipe was published in Salads, Sandwiches and Chafing Dish Recipes (1916) by Marion Harris Neil, M.C.A. “Mosaic Sandwich. 1 cream cheese. 2 ½ tablespoonfuls peanut butter. 1 chopped pimiento (canned red pepper). Salt and paprika to taste. White and Graham bread. Mash the cheese and mix it with the peanut butter, pimiento, salt and paprika to taste. Cut three slices each of white and Graham bread, one-half inch thick. Spread a slice of the white bread with mixture and place a slice of Graham bread upon it. Spread this mixture and place on it a slice of white bread. Repeat this process, beginning with the slice of Graham bread. Put both piles in a cold place under a light weight for one hour. Remove the weight, and cut each pile in three and one-half inch slices. Spread two of them with the prepared mixture, and put together in such a way that a white block is alternately with a Graham one, making a checker appearance. Wrap in damp cheesecloth and again place under a light weight in a cool place. Remove the weight at serving time and cut in dice.” 

This recipe also calls for six slices of bread, although there fillings different, as this recipe calls for cream cheese, peanut butter, and pimineto. Again, there was no meat or poultry in this sandwich, which might make it a less expensive sandwich. We can see there is little consistency in the Mosaic sandwich, beyond the alternating colors of the bread. 

Six slices again! There was a recipe in the Boston Herald (MA), January 17, 1926, noting, "Mosaic Sandwich. Cut slices of white bread and graham, whole wheat or Boston brown bread one-half inch thick. Make two butter sandwiches of three layers each, with cream cheese between, using a slice of dark bread between two slices of white. Make a similar sandwich using two slices dark bread to one slice white. Cut each sandwich in strips one-half inch wide. Place together with butter and cream cheese, alternating three of the strips, one from each of the three sandwiches so a square of the graham bread is opposite a square of the white bread. Press together lightly. Beginning at the end, cut the strips into slices. Raisin bread may be used instead of white.” 

Butter and cream cheese is the filling, and its interesting that the recipe also offers a variation of using raisin bread instead of white bread. 

A simple butter filling makes its appearance again. The Bellingham Herald (WA), January 4, 1927, presented a recipe,“Mosaic sandwiches are very simple sandwiches, but they look pretty and taste delicious. Cut three slices of white and graham bread one-half inch in thickness. Spread a slice of white bread with creamed butter and put a slice of graham bread on it. Spread this with butter and place on it a slice of white bread. Repeat this process beginning with a slice of graham. Put both piles in a cool place under a light weight. When butter has become firm, trim each pile evenly and cut in three one-half inch slices. Spread these with butter and put together in such a way that a white block will alternate with a graham one. Place again in a cool place under a weight and when butter has become perfectly hard cut in thin slices for serving.”

The spinach butter also made a return in the Boston Globe (MA), September 11, 1931. “Mosaic Sandwiches—Use white and dark bread, putting the slices together with green butter. The butter is made as follows: Boil spinach, put through sieve, drain as dry as you possibly can, and season with finely chopped parsley and capers, making perfectly smooth by beating in creamed butter.”

The Mosaic sandwich never vanished, although it is not commonly found. The Lansing State Journal (MI), July 19, 1956, printed an interesting variation, “Mosaic Turkey Sandwich. Cut circles of breads, both brown and white with doughnut cutter. Also cut solid circles of same size. Spread a slice of white bread with turkey salad paste. Top with dark bread ring. Fill center with cranberry sauce and a sprig of watercress or parsley. Press a small white bread circle on to cranberry center.”

The Aiken Standard (SC), December 28, 1977, presented a simple recipe for a Mosaic sandwich, simply calling for 2 slices of white and 2 slices of whole wheat, with any kind of filling you desired.

On a final note, the Albany Democrat-Herald (OR), July 25, 1989. in an article on Victorian times, noted, “One, a mosaic sandwich was made by cutting white and whole wheat bread into thin slices, spreading each with butter, then using a filling such as chopped beef between alternating slices of white and dark bread until the desired thickness was achieved. The layers were then pressed together and sliced in 1-inch strips.” This seems to replicate the information originally presented by the Ladies Home Journal, June, 1899. 

In the end, the Mosaic sandwich is created using alternating colored breads, from three to nine slices,  and the fillings can vary, from simple butter, to more elaborate recipes using chopped beef or turkey. A Mosaic sandwich is more about the look than the taste, an aesthetic choice over a culinary one. The lack of a more standard recipe for a Mosaic is also probably why the sandwich hasn't remained popular, and why the double decker club sandwich has taken center stage.