All’antico Vinaio

Florence, Italy (The Joy of Food) — An All’antico Vinaio experience usually comes with a line, thanks to the tourists who pencil in the place right after the Uffizi on their Florence must-see list, the foodies for whom a hefty meat sandwich and some first-rate wine is just as life-changing as a bistecca alla fiorentina. 

At lunchtime, the crowd into the shop winds down the narrow, twisting block, the smell of deli meats and truffles is maddening, and the workers are putting the sandwiches together like it’s a Cirque du Soleil act — slinging, bending, and stacking — while hungry customers watch. This might just be the best meal ever for seven euro and some change. 

You know it as the Italian panino, but here it’s called a schiacciata, a square, stuffed sandwich made on Tuscan flatbread of the same name. The word translates to ’smashed,’ which is exactly what this sandwich is — several layers of meats, cheeses, garnishes, sauces, and creams all melded between warm, crackly, soft layers of bread. Sandwiches feature slices of every Italian cold cut you’ve ever heard of and even more that might be new to you.

Naturally, if you are a meat eater, you will want L’Inferno. The key ingredient is porchetta, a thick, fatty skin-on pork roast rolled in flavorful herbs and spices. The sliced porchetta comes piled on a bed of grilled vegetables, baby arugula, and a spread of nduja for the win.

La Favolosa is another standout, but be forewarned that this one is quite messy, a heaping pile of sbriciolana, a type of Tuscan salami, plus pecorino cheese and spicy eggplant that joined together make a bit of a slip ’n slide. It is peppery, pungent, oily, and very tasty.

I tend to be partial to La Summer, a sandwich loaded with prosciutto, mozzarella, basil, and tomato, sort of an amplified Caprese salad. It is just a few of the ripest, freshest ingredients with nothing else. It may not sound like much, but such is the traditional simplicity of food in Italy.

Fully dressed, each of these sandwiches could feed a small country of starving people. For light eaters, there is a half (meta) option. A small menu of classics and specials is clearly posted outside on the Italian-only menu. If you don’t see something you like, you can customize, including vegetarian and vegan sandwiches made on request. 

No visit would be complete without some wine from the cellar — after all, All’antico Vinaio means ‘ancient wine merchant.’ Local Tuscan wines and others are sold by the glass or by the bottle.

Like many good things, All’antico Vinaio has begun to expand outside of Italy, first by bringing pop-ups to Los Angeles and New York City in 2019. The success of these pop-ups led the family to recently open brick-and-mortar locations stateside. The east cost store is already open with a second Los Angeles shop coming in 2022. I’m guessing the sandwiches will be more than seven dollars a piece at U.S. locations.

Written by Joy

Thanks for reading. The Joy of Food blog celebrates eating well, traveling often, and living la dolce vita. San Diego, California is home base, but thoughts are from all over. Reviews and photos help to highlight wonderful (or not) food experiences from around the world.

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