Are Calzones Made Differently in Maine Than in New Hampshire and Other Areas?
This is truly a genuine question. No sarcasm, no smack talk, no calling out places -- genuine question.
Does Maine see a calzone differently than New Hampshire and possibly other areas of the country?
First off, a little background that I promise has to do with this story and question.
I grew up in New Hampshire most of my life, with a few years spent in Massachusetts (a couple of different times) and a quick sabbatical in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
And while I don't remember if I ever ordered a calzone in Tulsa or not (fun fact, their pizza is wicked "meh" compared to New England's -- I never found pizza out there with any real flavor), I detached my jaw for plenty of calzones during my NH and Mass stops.
And anytime I've ordered a calzone in Mass or NH, it's always either been delivered to my house or my table (if I decided to eat at the restaurant) as this doughy, pillowy fluff that's stuffed with any kind of deliciousness that I'm in the mood for that particular meal.
I moved to Maine last summer (fun fact: holy hell do I love it here) and have spent my time either cooking for myself or, if I go out to eat, downing some kind of pizza, wings, or menu special.
Recently, while I was out at a Maine restaurant that will remain nameless because in no way is this article/question trash-talking them or casting them in a negative light (because let's be real, odds are I'm an idiot and ordered wrong or maybe the waitress misheard me on a very busy night), I realized it had been a minute since I had a calzone, so I ordered one.
When asking the waitress for a recommendation between a couple different choices, she directed me to the steak and cheese calzone. I love steak and cheese. I love calzones. Put them together and I'm a happy, fluffy panda. So, I ordered it. And was surprised at what was brought out to me.
A steak and cheese sub.
Now, don't get me wrong -- never in the history of ever would this be a bad thing. I probably love steak and cheese subs (or steak bombs, if that's your term for it) too much. But considering I ordered a calzone, I was surprised to get a sub.
But then I realized -- I didn't grow up a Mainer (determined to somehow morph myself into one, though, or at least have the 10th generation of my family should I ever procreate considered official Mainers) and I've never ordered a calzone in Maine before, so maybe what I know as a steak and cheese sub/steak bomb is a steak and cheese calzone here?
So, like I said, genuine question. Is a Maine calzone just local terminology for what others consider a sub sandwich? Or was it user error (meaning I ordered wrong) or just an oopsie on the waitress's part since she was in the middle of a chaotic night of service?
Don't get it twisted, though -- regardless of what was brought out to be that night, it was delicious and I definitely won at the end of the day.