It’s hard to say what it is, but there’s something just more fun about eating something with a given name.Not that you should ever really go eating the nameless and unknown, but more to the point there’s nothing one would particularly call ‘thrilling’ about eating a turkey sandwich. However, if the host were to tell you, “This is my pet sandwich, Fred!” you can bet he’d be delicious. In this bizarre spirit, we salute the creative culinaries packing the sandwich slate with the famous and infamous alike.

WAFFLE STOP. PHOTOS BY WYATT KOSTYGAN.

Elvis Is In the Building at the Waffle Stop:Hail to the King, baby. And by King, the folks at Waffle Stop mean none other than that hip-swinging and pompadoured songster Elvis Presley, who in 1956 toured through Sarasota, stopping at this little breakfast nook before the show and returning the next day with his entourage looking for seconds. This dining gem with the casual feel and small-town appeal now makes the most of its famous patron, transforming the décor and menu to commemorate the occasion, even though owner Dolly Hollinger admits Presley was still small-time when he passed through and no one, she says in hushed voice, not even the previous owner who served Presley on his visit, quite thought he was going to make it big. But he was a big tipper, says Hollinger, and by the end of the year he was a bona fide superstar. Now you may not have a sold-out show to play later, but you can always start your day like a rock star with Waffle Stop’s signature “Elvis Is In The Building,” a recreation of Presley’s hearty breakfast, including three eggs, a mound of fried potatoes and the diner’s choice of ham, bacon or sausage (Presley chose the bacon). The King reportedly finished it off with three glasses of milk, a growing boy until the end, but the 21st century won’t blame you opting for the coffee. The rest of the menu is dotted with Presley references and themed dishes, such as the spicy “Burnin’ Love Omelette” and its loaded cousin the “All Shook Up Omelette,” or the “Jail House Rock” chili cheese fries.  

MICHELLE'S BROWN BAG.

Michelle’s Brown Bag Café:Nestled within the City Center Building on Main Street, Michelle’s Brown Bag Café celebrates the local famous with a menu showcasing Sarasota landmarks and celebrities, For instance, you’ve been to Bird Key, but have you tasted Bird Key? According to the Brown Bag, it tastes a lot like chicken salad made with fresh tarragon and lemon, topped with apple slices and sprouts. Or perhaps the ever-popular BradenTurkey, taking its moniker from a nickname for Bradenton that owner Michelle Connor says she’ll “never understand.” The menu itself is actually a holdover from a previous operation in Bar Harbor, Maine, where Connor ran a cafe similarly naming sandwiches after local landmarks. Coming to Sarasota five years ago, only the names needed changing. “But I never did understand how much people appreciate the local names until I moved here,” she says. 

PICCOLO ITALIAN MARKET AND DELI.

Piccolo Italian Market and Deli: Down at Piccolo Italian Market and Deli, the focus is decidedly less local, but if you’re looking for a sandwich that means serious business then look no further than the Tony Soprano, one of Piccolo’s original signature sandwiches commanding respect from diners years later. Loaded with Italian prosciutto and hot sopressata, and topped with fresh mozzarella and hot giardiniera, it exudes a sinister charisma, as like its namesake. “We wanted to set ourselves aside from everyone else, to make it interesting,” says Antonio DiRende, owner of Piccolo. “We don’t want to just put a number on our sandwich.” Instead, he puts names like Frank Sinatra, who apparently tastes like chicken cutlet, Italian prosciutto, mozzarella and red peppers, and Sophia Loren, more the roast beef and provolone type. But expanding about a year ago, DiRende thought he could introduce a challenger to the Tony Soprano, a worthy adversary he dubbed ‘The Godfather.’ With four Italian meats – prosciutto, hot sopressata, hot capicollo and Genoa salami – meeting fresh mozzarella, lettuce, tomato and hot giardiniera, it quickly became DiRende’s personal favorite and is rising in the ranks among local diners. But there is the odd one out – the Tom Hanks - a simple turkey and provolone sandwich with lettuce and tomato. “That one…” DiRende starts chuckling and can’t quite stop, “I don’t know how we came up with that one.”