Archive for 'Italian'

Eggplant, Chickpeas & Meat Make A Successful Sandwich At Pane Panelle

Pane Panelle opened last September as a sandwich counter offshoot of the nicer Italian restaurant Stuzzicheria on Church St. (at Walker). Then the whole restaurant became a bit more casual and although the separate entrance for sandwiches remain, the day I went there you had to order yours at the bar so the restaurant and sandwich shop seem to have absorbed each other. The sandwiches were tasty enough, but the size-to-price ratio seemed to be skewed the wrong way and I haven’t been back since then. The other day I was in the area and the place I intended to eat at wasn’t open so instead I headed over to Pane Panelle to give them a second shot and see if the sandwiches had changed since that opening visit.

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Is The Cheese Slice At Cafe 41 Worth Your $1?

Ever since Cafe 41 opened in the space formerly occupied by beloved deli Patuca on John St. (btw. Nassau & William), they’ve been trying to find their hook. First, it was trying to lure people in with healthy eats, but then they started offering $1 slices and that’s when I took notice. Because I think we all know that while people don’t really want a chopped salad, they do want dirt cheap pizza.

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Checking Out The Claims Of Famous Ben’s Pizza Superiority

In recent months I’ve seen multiple posts about Famous Ben’s Pizza on Spring St. (at Thompson) and their Palermo slice. It looked like a delicious brick of carbs, perhaps made not such a gut bomb by its absence of cheese. Then there was a post last week by Ben Leventhal basically calling the slices at Artichoke Basille’s overpriced crap (my words, not his) s0 I opted to head up to Soho for a taste of Famous Ben’s. What I found was a good pizza experience slightly soured by tourists.

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Parisi Bakery: For Those Times You Just Want A Big Italian Sandwich

The moment I stepped into Parisi Bakery on Mott St. (btw. Kenmare & Spring), I knew whatever sandwich I decided to get, it was going to be good. The line was out the door when I got there, reminding me of equally tiny and popular Italian sandwich shop Alidoro. Also refreshing in this neighborhood of trendy cafes: The guys making sandwiches were middle-aged and definitely not wearing skinny jeans. Based on the sandwich I ordered, I can say the wait in the lunch-rush line is worth it.

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Di Palo’s $6 Porchetta Sandwich Is A Thing Of Beauty

di palo inside

I’d been aware that Di Palo’s Fine Foods on Grand St. in Little Italy sold porchetta, but it wasn’t until I happened to stop in that I learned the exciting information that they will make it into a sandwich for you. The place primarily traffics in Italian meats and cheeses with a sideline in prepared foods, pasta and other imported goods. The day I was there they hadn’t made the porchetta because of something about a meat shipment, but I was informed by the nice guy working the counter that they would not only have it the next day but he would make me a sandwich out of it. The next day come lunch time, I was on my way there faster than you can say “pork sandwich.”

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Benvenuti’s Pizza Is The Best You’ll Find In The BPC Lunch Wasteland

I never made it to Battery Park City to check out Samantha’s which was apparently a bastion of good, authentic Italian food. They shuttered, and in its place Benvenuti opened. Pictures of all their fresh pasta and other various Italian goods caught my attention, as did the fact that they were really proud of their Sicilian pizza. So I resolved to trek across the West Side Highway (and through a bunch of construction sites) for my lunch and I wasn’t disappointed.

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Trying The Non-Pizza Side Of Eddie’s Pizza’s Menu

The Eddie’s Pizza Truck has been roaming the streets for a while serving its bar pies with toppings like pulled pork with Maker’s Mark carmelized onions. A while ago they added some sandwiches to the menu and after a mostly positive report on the porchetta variety from Blondie, I decided that someday when I was feeling indecisive come lunch time I’d go back for something that wasn’t pizza. That day happened earlier this week when it was rainy and disgusting and walking more than a few blocks for lunch was out of the question and it just so happened Eddie’s Pizza was parked on Water St. Read more »