Turkey Manhattans

Hello, you have A Way with Words.

Hi, this is Rich Morris from Stoughton, Wisconsin.

What’s up?

Well, you know, I’ve wondered for a long time about the origin of Turkey Manhattan.

Turkey Manhattan.

Manhattan, as in the island.

Okay.

And when I was a kid in central Indiana, it’s pretty common that we would have turkey Manhattan or roast beef Manhattan for lunch in elementary school.

And when I mentioned it to someone up here, they just thought I was really goofy.

So I’m picturing a lunchroom in the middle of Indiana, redolent with all kinds of smells, and you’re going through the line and you’re asking for turkey Manhattan.

What in the heck are you asking for?

Well, it’s pretty simple. It’s just a slice of bread, and on top of that is a slice of turkey or roast beef.

On top of that, a scoop of mashed potatoes, and on top of that, gravy.

It’s not really too big a deal, but when you mention it to, I work with another fellow from Indiana, and any time we have the Sixsons up here in our lunchroom, we get sort of misty-eyed, like talking about turkey Manhattan.

I’ve never heard of it.

I don’t know why.

Well, we had all kinds of chef surprises when I was growing up in Missouri, but I don’t remember the turkey Manhattan.

It’s just something that really has puzzled me for 20 years.

Wow.

So many people are, you know, like, I don’t know, 20-mile radius of Indianapolis just know about this, but no one else.

Is that the only version of it, Rich?

Is it just the turkey one, or can you do that with other kind of meats?

No, it’s usually either turkey or roast beef.

The best one I ever had was a bar on the west side of Indianapolis where the day after prime rib night, they would use leftover prime rib.

Oh, my goodness.

And it was an upscale version of what we had in elementary school, but the same idea.

Turkey Manhattan and beef Manhattan.

I think that this is probably one of those food name mysteries that we can’t solve completely, although I’ve seen theories that it may have to do with the fact that it’s kind of stacked the way a skyscraper would be in Manhattan, although it’s not very tall.

I just figured that maybe it was put on a state-issued school lunch menu back in the 60s, sort of like they did with ketchup as a vegetable, that it just took off.

Yeah.

Well, you talked about prime rib night and how you used the leftovers to make beef Manhattan, right?

Mm—

Yeah, I’m thinking that maybe it has to do with the fact that you’re kind of dressing up something that’s not so fancy and giving it a fancy name.

You know, what those New Yorkers eat.

My colleague, Barry Poppick, he specializes in food words, among other things, and he’s basically confirming what you’re saying here, Rich.

This term is all about Indiana.

I’m imagining, Martha, that there’s a clever cafeteria lady back there who said, the only way we’re going to sell this to the kids is to give it a really good name.

And she just decided to call it something, you know, put Manhattan in there.

It’s classy. It’s stylish. That’s the way.

Yeah. We grew up in the country, and we have no idea what those people ate.

Well, Rich, what we’re going to do is Martha’s going to hit the siren here, and I’m going to turn on the flashing lights, and we’re going to put the call out to everyone in Indianapolis and Indiana.

And they can email us and let us know what they know about this.

We want to hear about your school lunches and how far back you can remember this.

No, seriously.

Are we sure we want to do that?

I want to know how far back we can trace this term just from our audience.

Somebody may have eaten this in the 1940s, and they can tell us that.

That would be really interesting to know that we can take it back that far, wouldn’t it?

Oh, my gosh.

And then we can talk about chicken and noodles.

Did you have that?

Oh, yeah.

Chicken and noodles, chicken and dumplings, chicken and everything.

All right.

Well, Rich, thank you so much for the food call.

We are always a fan of food calls.

This was a good one.

Thanks for your help.

All right.

Bye-bye.

Okay, bye.

Well, share your food memories with us.

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