Ever been to Sandy's in San Francisco? It's a muffuletta shop whose interpretation of the famous New Orleans sandwich will absolutely delight your taste buds. As opposed to the standard Italian cold cuts, their spin-off includes roasted mushrooms, indigenous to Sicily where the muffuletta originated. Despite being vegetarian, it convincingly replicates the savory essence of the original version.

The avant-garde mushroom muffuletta, born from the culinary genius of New Orleans native Peterson Harter, boasts stuffed cremini mushrooms, pickled veggies such as cauliflower and carrots, Kalamata olives, and a potent mix of scallions, garlic confit, and fiery Cajun spices. Served on crusty, toasted bread and spiked with Tabasco for an extra kick, it's become something of a sensation in the bay area.

Harter takes pride in the complex flavor profiles he's achieved. “I think if you close your eyes, it’s hard to tell it’s not meat,” shares the innovative chef. Harter appeals to traditionalists too, offering a more classic version of the muffuletta. But rather than use run-of-the-mill ham, he uses prosciutto and replaces Swiss cheese with provolone piccante for an added tang. This version also features the same olive salad, giardiniera, and notable level of spiciness.

The mushroom muffuletta has fans even among die-hard New Orleans foodies. Cookbook author, Poppy Tooker confessed her initial skepticism melted away with her first bite. “I was just blown away by his mushroom muffuletta. He’s retained the authenticity of flavor of the original, and tweaked it just a bit for a 21st-century audience and where he is,” Tooker said.

Harter, a graduate from the Culinary Institute of America, successfully made a vegetarian substitute for meat, influenced by his time in California. His journey brought him from cooking at his mother's cooking school in New Orleans to unleashing his innovation at Sandy's in the Golden City.

Sandy’s houses a small shop that exudes New Orleans charm, selling an affordable, yet memorable muffuletta for $14.50. This vibrant outlet also caters to Outside Lands, San Francisco’s summer music festival, and Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, expressing New Orlean's lively spirit through food in San Francisco.

Scola, owner of Experience Sicily, brings perspective on the evolution of the muffuletta. It began as a traditional Sicilian bread enjoyed on feast days and steadily evolved into the versatile sandwich we know today. Lupo, the founder of the original sandwich, combined antipasto into a convenient and savory meal within bread - thus the muffuletta we love was born.

Harter is perpetuating this living culinary legacy, innovating while respecting tradition from the heart of San Francisco, the vibrant Haight-Ashbury neighborhood.