After the much-publicised demise of the iconic caviar sandwich, the meal has made a comeback. The sandwich, from New York’s Grand Central Oyster Bar, was conceived in 1996 by late owner Jerome Brody and executive chef Sandy Ingber. The original challenge was to find the right caviar – cheap enough so that the sandwich could be sold at a reasonable price, but of good enough quality to be served in the restaurant. Ingber settled on the caviar of the Louisiana black bowfin, which meant that the sandwich could be sold at the accessible price of USD$23. Around seven sandwiches were sold per day – two slices of toasted bread, caviar, shredded hard-boiled egg and a tub of crème-Fraiche for dipping.
In mid-2017 the price of black bowfin caviar rose due to over-harvesting of other, less sustainable roe. To account for the increased cost the restaurant would have had to triple the price of the sandwich, so the decision was made to cut it altogether. The loss didn’t go without notice, and the customer outcry coupled with a reduction in the caviar price has seen the sandwich make its return.
"The sandwich is returning by popular demand and as a tribute to Mr Brody inspired by The New Yorker contributor Oli Coleman's elegy earlier this year," said Ingber. "We were reluctant to take it off the menu when we did. But since the price of the black bowfin has been recently reduced, we can bring it back much to the delight of aficionados."
