Italy’s famed sandwich shop All’Antico Vinaio opens pop-up in New York City

New Yorkers love their sandwiches: hoagies, Italian heros, banh mis, Cubanos and burgers even fall into this category for some. So it takes a pretty damn good sandwich to impress us.

Anyone who’s studied abroad or visited Florence will likely rave about the paninis from All’Antico Vinaio. The perfectly crusty and olive oil-slicked Tuscan flatbread known as schiacciata is filled with prosciutto, mozzarella, truffle cream, arugula and any number of high-quality ingredients that make these sandwiches unforgettable.

But you don’t need to book a ticket to Italy to experience all the glory. Starting today through July 13, All’Antico Vinaio has opened a pop-up in the front room of Otto Enoteca e Pizzeria in Greenwich Village. For at least a few more days, Tommaso “Tommy” Mazzanti, the man behind the wildy-popular paninis, will be making the sandwiches until they run out (apparently they sold out within a few hours).

Despite the anticipated demand, the pop-up isn’t taking short cuts. The bread is baked each morning at Otto and Mazzanti will assemble all the sandwiches while he’s in town. His tiny shop in Florence is steps from the picturesque Piazza della Signoria, the renowned L-shaped square tourists flock to to take in historical sights. It’s a quintessential street food experience that’s the equivalent of tourists in New York seeking the most popular pizza and bagels.

Here’s the menu:

• La Boss (Prosciutto Toscano, Pecorino Cream, Truffle Cream) $14
• La Summer (Prosciutto Toscano, Bufula Mozzarella, Pomodoro, Basil, Olive Oil, Balsamico) $14
• Inferno - Named in honor of Ron Howard who frequented the shop during the filming of his film “Inferno” (Otto House-Made Porchetta, Nduja, Grilled Eggplant, Arugula) $14
• La Dante (Cappocolo, Stracchino, Truffle Cream, Arugula) $15
• La Washington Sq. Park (Otto House-Cured Lardo, Gorgonzola, Pear, Truffle Cream, Fried Zucchini) $15
• Favolosa (All'Antico Vinaio's best-selling sandwich with Pecorino Cream, Artichoke Cream, Grilled Eggplant, Finocchiona) $14 

The pop-up is open at noon Monday-Thursday and 11:30 a.m. Friday-Sunday. Otto is located at One Fifth Avenue.

Photography: Tommaso Mazzanti