A Legendary Quad Cities Sandwiches Lives On
When I first arrived in the Quad Cities nearly 20 years ago, there were a handful of spots I was told to experience to get a 'taste' of the area. One of them was the Belgian Village Inn in Moline. "Have a VandeReuben. There's nothing like it," I was told.
The grilled raisin bread sandwich packed with sauerkraut, corned beef, ham and Swiss cheese smothered in a secret sauce was indeed one of the most unique treats I've had anywhere.
When the landmark Belgian Village Inn closed in 2014, the VandeReuben disappeared with it. Over the ensuing years, Katie Manning, grand-daughter of the founders, came up with the idea of preparing the sandwiches for patrons to grill at home themselves.