serving them in 1947 at his Sharkey's Bar and Grill in Binghamton. Sharkey's promotes itself as the birthplace of the sandwich in television commercials across the greater Binghamton area. Growth in popularity In 1975, Rob Salamida became the first person to bottle the sauce and sell it. He began by cooking spiedies outside a local tavern at 16. After writing letters for over a year, he was allowed to have his own booth at the New York State Fair in Syracuse, New York. For 12 years he built his reputation at the fair. After a tornado nearly struck his stand in 1975, he decided it would be more lucrative and safer to bottle a spiedie marinade. One of the most popular shops to purchase spiedies in the Southern Tier, as popularity for the marinades and sandwiches grew, was Lupo's. Lupo's marinades and spiedies are still available locally in the single remaining Binghamton store but products are also available for purchase online. In 1983, a few families got together and held a Spiedie Fest that was a tremendous hit. Coupled with a Balloon Rally, it quickly grew to an annual festival attracting more than 100,000 attendees (and also one of the top balloon rallies in the country). In 2013, President Barack Obama visited Binghamton University to promote his affordable college plan and joked that he was going to get a spiedie while in Binghamton. See also Arrosticini City chicken Souvlaki Kebab Shish taouk - a similar food popular in Egypt and Turkey List of sandwiches References External links Atlas of Popular Culture in the Northeastern United States: The Spiedie Italian-American cuisine Cuisine of New York (state) Binghamton, New York Cuisine of the Mid-Atlantic states American sandwiches Tourist attractions in Binghamton, New York Meat dishes