Nino’s Special Chicken Sandwich is a Pleasant Surprise


During Zach’s neverending search for the best chicken parm sandwich in Midtown, he came across Nino’s (46th btw. 5+6), a good, cheap Italian place that served up one of the better chicken parms he tried. I never had much reason to check the place out, until I walked by one day recently and they were advertising a special chicken sandwich with fresh mozzarella and hot peppers. That seemed worth checking out…


The full description of the sandwich was as follows: chicken cutlet with fresh mozzarella, guacamole, vinegar peppers and herb mayo on semolina. All for $7.95. That’s a lot going on in one sandwich. In fact it seems like too much because the guacamole and herb mayo got lost in the shuffle the day I tried it. I could see the guacamole but I only really tasted it in a few places where it was particularly concentrated.


That’s hardly a complaint though, because the flavors that do stand out (the chicken, mozzarella, peppers and bread) make for a very satisfying sandwich. The chicken is thin, moist and not overly breaded or greasy. I was skeptical about the “fresh” mozzarella, but there was no doubt in my mind after seeing the pure white slab of it on top of my sandwich. It was the real deal and it was good. The peppers were pickled hot peppers (possibly green cherry peppers). They provided some much appreciated heat, nothing too extreme. And the bread really brought everything together. A nice crusty exterior and a soft chewy interior, finished off with an undercarriage dotted with sesame seeds. If all their bread is this good and fresh, Nino’s may be my new go-to sandwich spot.

Nino’s rotates their special pretty frequently and you’ll know what they have by what is advertised on a plain white sheet of paper in the window. They assured me, however, that they could make this sandwich just about any day as long as you give them a little time (calling ahead might be a good idea).

Nino’s Trattoria, 39 w. 46th Street (btw. 5+6th), 212-719-4015

2 Comments

  • While this does look good, I doubt it stands up to Park Italian Gourmet on 45th.

  • I went in there yesterday and asked about this sandwich. They made a version of it with jalapenos and it was excellent! Fries are great too.

    This place has a diner feel. It’s cheaper and more relaxed than Burger Heavan, Astro, Renaissance, etc.

    Definitely worth a visit.

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