Secret Sauce

Written By Game Day

It’s been a big week for celebrations – Mardi Gras, Valentine’s Day and now National Tartar Sauce Day.

Celebrated on the first Friday of Lent (so Feb. 16 this year), National Tartar Sauce Day was founded by Frisch’s in 2017 to honor the tangy sauce that has is much more than a topping for fried fish. Have you tried it with French fries?

TARTAR SAUCE
A TIMELINE

  • 17th Century
    The French Tartar
    France recreates the original tartar sauce by using mayonnaise.

  • 19th Century
    Tartar Sauce in Western Europe
    Tartar sauce is adopted in European cuisine.

  • 1920s
    Commercial Tartar Sauce
    Tartar Sauce is commercially sold in jars.

  • 1984
    Tasty Beginnings
    Chef Tachibe adds tartar sauce to dishes.

  • 2017
    A Day for Tartar Sauce
    National Tartar Sauce Day is created.

– nationaltoday.com

Samuel Frisch opened the first Frisch's cafe in 1905 in Cincinnati. In 1923, son Dave Frisch took over operations with two of his siblings after his father's death. Then in 1946, Dave Frisch sampled the first Big Boy double-decker hamburger. In what proved to be a momentous decision, Dave Frisch made the Big Boy sandwich using his homemade tartar sauce to replace the original recipe that called for Thousand Island dressing. Dave’s signature tartar sauce becomes a staple on Frisch’s menu. It has been sold in pint jars for the take-home market since 1960.

During Lent, Frisch’s tartar sauce is in high demand for its Frisch Fry menu and specials, available throughout the season.

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