GREEN, Ohio — For decades, they sat tucked away inside a box in a Florida garage. Now, what are believed to be the original hamburger press and ice cream cone waffle iron have returned to Northeast Ohio, where members of the Menches family hope they'll help preserve a unique piece of local history.
The artifacts were returned to Menches Brothers Restaurant in Green by Gary Sterling, whose great-grandfather was Frank Menches.
Today, the restaurant is owned by Sterling's cousin, John Menches, a descendant of Charles Menches.
Frank and Charles Menches are credited with creating both the hamburger and the ice cream cone, making the family name a lasting part of Northeast Ohio's culinary history.
One of the artifacts, a cast-iron waffle iron, was used to cook the batter. Once heated and cooked, the wafers would be wrapped around a wooden form, known as a fid, to create the familiar cone shape.
Gary Sterling, who traveled from Florida to return the artifacts, explained how the hamburger press worked.
"My great-grandfather used this in Hamburg, New York, to invent the hamburger patty. You put the patty into the mold, close it up and put it over the open fire to cook the hamburger patty," Gary Sterling said.
For Sterling, returning the artifacts was a chance to reunite pieces of family history with the family restaurant. For John Menches, it's an opportunity to share those heirlooms with the community.
"To have that original waffle iron, I can't put it in enough words," John Menches said. "First of all, I am going to get it dated and insured because there's only two of them that I am aware of in the world right now."
This story has a personal connection for News 5 anchor Tessa DiTirro. Gary Sterling is DiTirro's mother's first cousin.
