Well, my hajj has been had. I’ve now feasted on the Holy Fried Bologna at the G & R Tavern in Waldo, OH. It was fixed up with melted Monterrey Jack (was he a person? – I sometimes wonder*), a slice of white onion – very good – and decked with sweet pickles – not so good. I made it halfway tgrough the sandwich before I removed the remaining pickles. They were sweet like gherkins and the spice aftertaste – probably cinnamon – was a bit overwhelming.
This morning I got to the airport in time, easily, for a ^30am flight back to North Carolina. I’m not sure if it was the bologna, the meatloaf at Cap City Diner on Olentangy Road last night, or the Blue Moon beer that was cloudy with yeast, but I was sick. So sick that I cancelled my flight for one at 2:30 in the afternoon. I was shivering uncontrollably, so I bought a long-sleeved OSU sweatshirt at one of the Port Columbus shops and sweated and shook between frequent trips to the convenient facilities. At 11:00am, I bought some overpriced Immodium at the same shop and things got better.
I don’t blame the bologna, though, that was more than 18 hours before. I think it was just coincidence. I’m thankful that my sickness on this trip (it’s a personal tradition) waited until the very end.
*The Monterey Jack was developed by a Californian Scot, David Jacks in 1882 (some sources state 1916). Monterey Jack's consistency depends on its maturity; most softer varieties (common in American supermarkets) is aged for one month, while grating Jack is aged for upwards of 6 months. Older Jacks are smeared with oil and pepper to maintain softer rinds. Monterey Jack has a buttery, bland taste and melts easily. Fat content is 25 per cent water content is 45 per cent.
The origins of the Monterey Jack Cheese has been shrouded in mystery since the early days in Monterey County, no one seems to know who actually made the first Monterey Jack Cheese. One account attributes Dona Juana Cota the wife of Don Jose Manuel as originating the cheese recipe and making the cheese for David Jacks from the adobe on Rancho Los Laurelles, Carmel Valley. The cheese was called at that time "Caso del Pais," or cheese of the country. It is well credited that the person to market the creamy white cheese to grocers in San Francisco was David Jacks a successful dairyman and landowner in Monterey County. Local folk lore mentions David Jacks as not having very much success in selling his fresh milk to the local market. David Jacks needed a product and market for his milk and started selling his white cheese to merchants in San Francisco. Sold in cheese wheels, the San Francisco merchants referred to the cheese as Jack's Monterey Cheese. later the name evolved to Monterey Jack Cheese.
7:45:05 PM 
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