PROVIDENCE – When Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau arrives in Rhode Island this week to deliver the keynote address to the National Governors Association conference, he will find there is a tribute in Providence to his family that reaches back almost forty years.
Trudeau’s mother, Margaret Trudeau, herself the First Lady of Canada in the 1970’s, was a celebrity in her own right; she was the Kardashian or Beyonce of her day. She was seen at the glamour spots of the day such as Studio 54, with all of the A-list celebs of the time from Mick Jagger to Elizabeth Taylor. In appreciation of her exploits, Geoff’s Superlative Sandwiches on the East Side in Providence sometime in the mid to late 70’s added her name to its celebrity-driven sandwich menu. The Margaret Trudeau – Canadian bacon, Swiss cheese and mushrooms – remains a popular item to this day, even though few customers or staffers know who she was. Owner Julio Fonseca who acquired Geoff’s from its namesake owner some twenty years ago kept the Margaret on the menu along with other best-sellers. Other retro celebrity namesakes on the menu include Bobby Riggs, Judy Garland, Groucho Marx and the cartoon character Doonesbury. There are also sandwich creations named for current local personalities such as David Cicilline and Alan Shawn Feinstein, radio dj’s Paul and Al and TV personality Barbara Morse.
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To Fonseca’s knowledge, the former First Lady has never visited to taste her tribute creation and “Geoff” is not available to ask. Fonseca is hopeful her son might stop by during the Governors Conference perhaps with Governor Raimondo, of whom he says, “I am a fan!”
Does Prime Minister Trudeau plan a side trip to Geoff’s while in Providence? The National Governors Association has not responded to an inquiry.
Bruce Newbury is PBN’s Dining Out Columnist.
