Route 66ers in Illinois are in for a rare treat on Sunday.
Ernie Edwards, longtime owner of the Pig Hip restaurant that was recently destroyed by fire, will serve his trademark ham sandwiches from 2 to 5 p.m. at the restaurant’s former site in Broadwell, Ill., reports the Lincoln (Ill.) Courier.
The event is basically one big birthday party: Broadwell’s 151st birthday and Edwards’ 90th. Patty Ambrose of the Illinois Route 66 Heritage Project is delivering a 40-pound birthday cake to the event, also.
It’s also a stop for the annual motor tour by the Illinois Route 66 Association.
And it’s part of the 37 Miles of Smiles garage sale along the route.
Edwards makes Pig Hip sandwiches for special occasions. It’s a ham sandwich made with fresh ham (not cured) with a secret red sauce.
Marian Clark fashioned a good facsimile of the sauce in one of her Route 66 cookbooks, I’m told. Here’s another story with extensive history about the restaurant and Edwards’ life.
But you’re in Illinois, I’d get over to Broadwell pronto on Sunday. You never know whether you’ll ever get another chance to eat a Pig Hip from the man who invented it.
UPDATE 6/7/07: Columnist Phil Luciano of the Peoria Journal-Star reports that Edwards is saying this is his “last time” for serving Pig Hip sandwiches. Keep in mind, however, that he’s said this before.