Common Good Bakery’s Muffuletta

Tastemaker

By Janice Binkert | May 22, 2021

Meet the muffuletta, a sandwich that might just become your new favorite. An iconic New Orleans specialty, it predates even the city’s famous Po’Boy.

By most accounts, the muffuletta was created in 1906 by one Salvatore Lupo, owner of the legendary Central Grocery (still in existence) in the middle of NOLA’s French Quarter, as a more practical way for his fellow Sicilian immigrants who worked the nearby wharves and produce stands to enjoy their traditional lunch from the old country – sliced ham and salami, cheeses, olive salad and traditional Sicilian bread.

Lupo, who featured all of those products in his grocery, came up with the idea of combining them into one handy, portable package — in the form of a sandwich — and a New Orleans classic was born. Common Good’s version of the muffuletta, according to executive chef Matt Durren, pairs one of his favorite ingredients, local Rice Farms ham, with Gruyere de Comte cheese, Olli soppressata, provolone and “a flavor-packed olive relish,” all tucked inside the bakery’s hand-shaped ciabatta.

“We strive to provide our community with world-class menu items, using the best ingredients we can find,” says Durren. “The muffuletta is a unique sandwich that’s hard to find in Northern Michigan, and we knew we could create one that people would love!”

Common Good Bakery, 537 W. 14th Street, Traverse City, (231) 933-8002. Complete menu and online ordering at www.commongoodbakery.com.