Vintage taste can still be found – if you know where to look

Remember Taylor Pork Roll? Maybe you called it Taylor Ham. Call it what you will, but one of my fondest childhood memories was quietly slipping out of my parents’ room at the Carlton Hotel and ordering a Taylor sandwich at the now long-gone stand on the Rehoboth Boardwalk. Those immortal words still ring in my ears: “Double meat, please!” Slices were grilled before your very eyes then plopped onto a soft hamburger bun with a slice of white American cheese, lettuce, tomato and a slather of mayo. Hard to believe that I was such a skinny kid.

To be fair, denizens of the Jersey Shore had it best, with the little stands popping up everywhere from Sandy Hook to Cape May.

You could smell the fragrant aroma of the grilling meat, and there always seemed to be a line. The little stands have sadly disappeared, but true pork roll lovers know that it is still available in many grocery stores, not the least of which our own Giant Food in Rehoboth Beach. (Keep reading; I have a surprise for local Taylor lovers.)

The true Taylor Pork Roll (beware of bland-tasting imitations!) was created by John Taylor, a colonel in the Revolutionary Army in the 18th century. As a merchant in New Jersey, he blended a spiced pork product that became popular in diners and taverns up and down the Delaware Valley. In 1856, Sen. John Taylor, the colonel’s great-grandson, increased production at his plant in Trenton, NJ. By 1889, it was John Taylor & Company.

Today’s Taylor Pork Roll is still prepared in the original buildings on Perrine Avenue in Trenton. Aficionados know that the delicately spiced meat is equally good for breakfast, lunch or dinner. The proper preparation is quick and simple: Slice it thin, then fry it - with no added fat or oil - in a hot skillet. If it burns a little bit, so be it. It still tastes just as good.

JerseyPorkRoll.com says it best: “Taylor Ham or Taylor Pork Roll! Slice it thick or thin, tangy or mild, make the four little cuts around the edges so it doesn’t curl when you cook it, and brown it ‘til it’s just the way you like it in an honest-to-goodness Jersey Diner.”

Curious? Here’s my surprise: The Jersey-centric boardwalk favorite lives on at Surf Bagel in Lewes! I get my Taylor Pork Roll sandwich with white American cheese and a fried egg on a toasted sesame bagel. And if that just isn’t enough for you, you can order Taylor Pork Roll delivered to your front door from the website above. If you’ve never had the pork roll experience, you’re in for a treat.