Local Restaurant Inspired Meal Week - The Old Mohawk

Today for Local Restaurant Inspired Meal Week we will be visiting The Old Mohawk in Columbus.  A Columbus landmark since 1933, legend has it that the tavern operated as a speakeasy during prohibition, but became immediately successful as a legitimate business upon prohibition's repeal. It is rumored that the owners raised the turtles for the menu's popular turtle soup and fried snapper turtle in the basement of the building.

819 Mohawk Street, Columbus, OH. 43206

We have eaten here on several occasions and our go to restaurant whenever we are in the German Village area.  Every time we have gone I have gotten the same thing and it is one of the most amazing sandwiches I have ever had and I often crave it.  It is the Mother Mohawk, grilled roast beef and homemade chicken salad, topped with Swiss cheese on marble rye bread, served with a side of caraway horseradish sauce.

The Old Mohawk's Mother Mohawk sandwich

This is the sandwich I will be trying to recreate at home.  Here is my recipe:

MOTHER MOHAWK

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

1lb deli Roast Beef, sliced about 1/8 inch thick

4 cups Chicken Salad (recipe follows)

6oz Swiss cheese slices

8 pieces Pepperidge Farm Deli Swirl Rye & Pumpernickel Bread

Caraway Horseradish Sauce (recipe follows)

DIRECTIONS

1.  Make Chicken Salad recipe and set aside in the refrigerator.  It is much better if you let the chicken cool and the flavors marry for at least an hour.

2.  Make the Caraway Horseradish Sauce and set aside in the refrigerator. It is much better if you let the flavors marry for at least an hour.

3.  Heat your roast beef slices on a grill or griddle for a few minutes until warmed.

4.  Preheat your broiler.  Partially build your sandwich:  Bottom slice of bread, 1/4 lb roast beef, 1 cup chicken salad, 2 slices of Swiss cheese.  Place sandwich under broiler for a few minutes until the cheese has melted a little.  Place slice of bread on top and cut in half for easier eating.

5.  Put Caraway Horseradish sauce on the side.  Serve with potato chips.

GRANDMA'S (aka. THE QUEEN MUM'S) CHICKEN SALAD 

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

3 skinless, boneless, chicken breasts

Salt 

Pepper

5 stalks celery

1/2 an onion

1 cup of mayonnaise

1 cup of sour cream

Garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1.  Boil chicken in seasoned water (salt & pepper) until cooked through about 30-45 minutes depending how large chicken breasts are.  Pat dry and refrigerate.  Chicken is easier to cut into bite size pieces if cold.  

2.  While chicken is cooling dice up celery and onion.  Put into big bowl.

3.  In a separate bowl whisk mayo and sour cream.  Add salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste and whisk again.  (NOTE:  you can adjust the amount of dressing, just make sure it is equal parts mayo and sour cream)

4.  When chicken is cooled, cut into bite size pieces, add to bowl with celery and onion.

5.  Pour dressing over and mix well.

6.  Taste and season if needed.

CARAWAY HORSERADISH SAUCE

Recipe by CHERYLDLEE at Food52

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup good quality mayonnaise

3 Tbsp prepared horseradish

1/4 tsp whole caraway seeds

DIRECTIONS

1.  Place the ingredients into a small bowl and mix well.  Adjust the amount of horseradish, depending on the strength.

* This mayonnaise can be made and held in the refrigerator for a week.

All I can say is WOW!  This was sooooo good.  Obviously, the chicken salad was different from The Old Mohawk but this was super easy and super yummy!