I was talking to a friend the other day, and Thanksgiving was right around the corner. I was eagerly anticipating having a turkey commercial.
He had no clue as to what I was talking about. Asked him about a beef commercial. Still no clue. I thought he was pulling my leg. I went to Google it, and only six hits came up for beef commercial.
Does anyone have an idea of what I mean, have you ever had one, and where are you from?
I have some vague trivia quiz knowledge that it’s an open faced hot sandwich covered in gravy…maybe with mashed potatoes on top? But I’ve never had one, made one or seen one by that name on a menu. Chicago, IL, USA.
A commercial? WTH.
Every time I think I’ve learned all my vocabulary words, something comes along to humble me.
Not even a clue what it meant. I thought your subject was typoed or something even. 
Never heard of it. Have lived in Pennsylvania, New York, and Illinois.
Never heard of it, and neither has Merriam-Webster or Wiki. Upon Googling, it appears to be a Minnesota-specific name for a hot sandwich.
Never heard of it.
Lived in Nor Cal my whole life.
not a clue. Tennessee.
 It’s a hot sandwich.
White bread, shredded or sliced beef/turkey/pork layered on, sliced white bread on top, cut in half on the diagonal.Mashed potatoes in the middle of diagonal. Gravy over all. Usually green beans on the side.
Starches, with starches on top with a side of mashed starches. It’s comfort food, and occasionally perfect, like after you’ve been ice fishing all day.
However, the thing that absolutely threw me for a loop, was NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD OF IT.
It’s like if you were talking about a new Porsche, or Oprah, or dolphins, and no-one had a clue as to what those things were.
I feel like I’m in the twilight zone.
But according to snopes, I am in the middle of the fifty mile radius of the only place where they are called that. Crazy.
That’s what I would have called a Manhattan back in my Central Indiana youth. Wikipedia mentions both beef and turkey variants.
I was actually in Indy last week, and saw that on a menu at some diner outside Brazil. Interesting that it has to be served on the diagonal.
It’s common on midwest menus, but not as a “commercial”. It’s called a “hot beef” (or ham or pork).
I had no idea there were other names for it. Now I’m hungry.
Yep. Grew up and waited tables in northern Indiana. I served a bunch of those to hungry farmers in my youth.
Agreed. I’ve lived in Illinois and Wisconsin, and have had this sort of dish many times (though nearly always “open-faced”, with no slice of bread on top). However, I’ve always seen it referred to on menus as “hot [meat type] sandwich”. I’ve never heard the term “commercial” (or “Manhattan”) used to describe it.
Diners and family-style restaurants in Chicago will usually offer varieties with beef, turkey, pork, and maybe a breaded pork tenderloin.
Never heard of it. I’ve lived in Alaska, Washington, California, Idaho, Virginia, Washington, DC and Massachusetts. Visited extensively in Minnesota, Wisconsin and New Orleans. Met and talked to people from all over the country during 23 years in the military. Never.
I’ve never heard of it, but what you described I’d call a Beef Manhattan or Turkey Manhattan.
Illinois
Reminds me of “New York special”, which is of course what my mom called Nanaimo bars. Early on I realised that not a single other person in the world called them that. Googling it now I see that some in New York call it “New York slices”. Don’t know how mom, born and raised in frigging Saskatchewan, got that in her head.
I’d never heard of a commercial either - always called a “hot roast beef” or whatever meat it was. PA, NY, DE.
I know how you feel though. Imagine moving to a place like that! Well apparently I did that - the only 25 mile radius that calls submarine sandwiches “wedges”. Wedges! I really had no idea what the delis were asking me about when I first got here.
Never heard of it. I thought you screwed up whatever you were trying to type as the thread title. (Alabama)