Whether a sandwich shop calls its bill of fare a submarine, hoagie, po’ boy, grinder, hero, bomber or just plain “sandwich,” one commonality is that most sandwich shops have an “Italian” sandwich. Beyond that, the actual Italian sandwich varies in composition as well as in preparation. Typical ingredients include layers upon layers (especially on the East coast) of paper-thin capicola, salami, pepperoni and ham often drenched in a vinegar, mayo or mustard and topped with shredded lettuce, fresh tomatoes, sliced onions, and cherry peppers. There is no one standard as to what constitutes an “Italian,” not that most of us would care much.
Also falling under the purview “Italian sandwich” are panini which are constructed with grilled Italian bread, usually made using a sandwich press. Panini are replete with delicious ingredients such as melty, molten cheese with complementary meats. The perfect panini is crispy on the outside, warm and gooey on the inside, and entirely delicious. Most culinary historians agree that the panini originated in Italian sandwich shops called “paninoteche” sometime during the 1960s. From there, Americans quickly picked up on the trend, and paninis became widely available in the States starting from the 1970s.
You can’t mention Italian sandwiches without lauding the ubiquitous meatball sandwich, which is actually an Italian-American invention. Typically consisting of a long Italian-style roll filled with meatballs, red sauce, and mild cheeses such as mozzarella or provolone, they are among my very favorite sandwiches (especially on the East Coast). It is believed that this sandwich was invented under spacious skies at the turn of the 20th century. According to Dr. Ed Iannuccilli, a retired gastroenterologist, old Italians used to warn “Never eat a meatball sandwich outside your home.” Thank goodness that axiom is no longer true and many restaurants serve excellent to outstanding meatball sandwiches.
Ask any Chicago transplant what they miss most about the Windy City and almost invariably they’ll tell you how they pine for Italian beef sandwiches. Italian beef sandwiches are THE quintessential Chicago sandwich, piles of thin-shaved roast beef slid au jus into a French roll and topped with giardiniera. It’s a magnificent sandwich. My Kim prefers onions, bell peppers and cheese to giardiniera and she likes her sandwich “wet” (momentarily immersed in the au jus). Either way it’s a tremendous sandwich which is fast becoming available outside the City of Big Shoulders.
There are a number of other Italian or Italian-inspired sandwiches served across the fruited plain. Think sausage and peppers sandwiches, burrata-prosciutto sandwiches, Italian sausage grilled cheese, Italian pesto grilled cheese, chicken parmesan sandwiches. Think the New Orleans favorite–the muffuletta. Frankly the list is limited only to the imagination. The “Something About Sandwiches” blog shares 15 drool-worthy Italian inspired sandwiches. Even the blog’s photos are drool-worthy.
As with any true sandwich savant, I’ve always wanted to savor sandwiches in Italy. Yes, strictly a sandwich tour. No pizza, no pasta, no antipasto. Just sandwiches. Like sandwiches at most European nations, sandwiches in Italy are not constructed with every ingredient but the kitchen sink. A “Dagwood” sandwich would be an abomination. Italians believe a sandwich constructed with just a few ingredients that work well together is preferable to a Dagwood where ingredients fight for your attention. The first place I would visit during a strictly sandwich soiree in Italy would be all’Antico Vinaio in Florence.
Until rather recently (2021), all’Antico Vinaio (which translates from Italian to “at the ancient wine merchant’s”) was found exclusively in Florence. It quickly become a New York City staple, with five locations boasting of lengthy queues wrapping outside each location to indulge in oversized sandwiches. Those sandwiches are built on freshly baked Tuscan schiacciata bread with hand sliced meats, imported cheeses and more premium ingredients including truffles. In 2023, the first location outside of New York City launched in Las Vegas, Nevada. all’Antico Vinaio joins a curated group of restaurants at UnCommons, a youth-oriented mixed-use development in southwest Las Vegas. There are also two locations in the Los Angeles area.
The Florentine shop is considered by Forbes “one of the best street food experiences in the world.” It is also revered by Saveur magazine who declared it “home of the world’s best sandwiches.” That’s a lot for a satellite location to aspire to. There are some sixteen sandwiches on the menu, not counting the day’s special. Before ordering your sandwich, take a gander at the deli case where the fresh ingredients from which the sandwich are made will bring lust to your heart. We watched with interest as passers-by strode in and asked what mortadella and pancetta are. Others were more savvy about Italian ingredients not usually labeled Oscar Mayer.
Perhaps what distinguishes sandwiches at all’Antico Vinaio from all other sandwiches is schiacciata (which means “squished” as in with fingertips). Each sandwich is constructed on this magnificent Tuscan bread, a (“cousin of focaccia,” but much better). It takes two hands to handle each sandwich which our servers were unable to cut in half for us because they don’t keep cutlery in the restaurant. I pried my eyes from the deli counter only when a baker emerged from the back with stacks of schiacciata, each loaf shimmering with olive oil and coarse salt. As each loaf is sliced horizontally, clouds of steam waft upwards to the delight of our olfactory senses.
Each sandwich is generously endowed with a beguiling combination of freshly sliced meats, cheeses, flavored creams and vegetables. Sixteen options, many overlapping with ingredients, will challenge anyone to decide which sandwich to order. Thankfully, a tiny chalkboard placard on the table lists best-sellers. Another placard lists the day’s special. That’s how I discovered the Truffle Special (truffle salame, artichoke cream, Stracchino, arugula). Only the stracchino might be considered “mild.” This is not a sandwich for the faint-hearted or the meek and mild. This is a sandwich for those of us who appreciate strong flavors. This is the type of sandwich for the type of diner who will follow up his sandwich with a blue-cheese and pear ice cream at the Salt & Straw just down the block. Yep, that how I roll. Not everyone will appreciate the true genius of this sandwich, but those of us who get it will dream about that truffle salami and its accompanying ingredients.
My Kim isn’t nearly as enamored of strong flavors as is her husband. Her sandwich of choice was the La Summer (Prosciutto toscano, mozzarella, tomato, basil) on a beauty pageant caliber Tuscan schiacciata bread. It’s the sandwich for everyone who loves prosciutto. It’s constructed with more prosciutto than you might typically see on any other two sandwiches. Then there’s the fresh mozzarella made on the premises. It’s rich and creamy…almost milky. Wonderful as all the ingredients are–and they are a melding of magnificence–that bread is what we’ll remember most. Immediately I wondered how a muffaletta might be under such a terrific canvas.
all’Antico Vinaio lives up to its billing. It was the panacea for having endured an energy-sapping 110-degree Las Vegas day. Quite simply, if you want one of the world’s best sandwiches, it’s the place to go.
all’Antico Vinaio
8533 Rozita Lee Avenue, Suite 100
Las Vegas, Nevada
(725) 276-0105
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LATEST VISIT: 21 June 2024
# OF VISITS: 1
RATING: N/R
COST: $$
BEST BET: Truffle Special, La Summer
REVIEW #1405