ALIDORO

Glass jar lamps.  Love these.

Not all sandwich shops have a chef.  But chef Walter Momente is what sets Alidoro, which means "golden wings" apart, creating not mere sandwiches but bread-bound showcases of Italian finery. They source impeccable ingredients: hand-selecting the best loaves from several bakeries or importing superior Italian products for authenticity, like the stellar grilled artichokes that crown the Enzo.  Otherwise, they make it themselves, such as the supple sundried tomatoes, bright with the tang of summer, a sweet, mild eggplant caponata, and best, the addictive marinated hot peppers.  The latter are not merely spicy, they add a tangy, zesty vegetal note whose heat is both latent and evanescent: it begins to dissipate just in time for the next bite, leaving you wanting more and more.  That's  a good thing, because these sandwiches are BIG.   The Gregorio is an incendiary compilation of hotness, from the soppressata to the peppers and hot spread, just barely tamed by a milky layer of mozzarella.  The Romeo will woo you with smoked chicken so rosy and flavorful it'll make you rethink categorizing the poultry as a generic filler. 

The Bosco (salad)

Vegetarians can find solace in a pizza-evoking Monica, featuring meaty portobellos and ripe gorgonzola along with those tender sundried tomatoes.  The menu is long and might appear redundant, but slight variations of ingredients create vastly different outcomes.There are salads and a daily soup, too, and even a delicious nutella-cannoli cream filled homemade doughnut…. but it is the sandwiches who are are stars.  Topping out around $13, it might sound pricey for a hero, but you will be sated with just half and have the remainder to look forward to the next day.  And trust me, you will want more later. 

Romeo

Enzo

 The Romeo:  This one lives up to its name.  The chicken is thinly sliced, smoky and sweet and moist.  The semolina bread works especially well with this one with its toasty coating of sesame seeds. 







 The Enzo: I loved the artichoke on this guy but the Sfilatino bread was a little too sturdy for my tastes.  Better off with the Stirato.  In fact, this is the case on most of the sandwiches, I feel. 

Pinocchio

Monica

Gregorio

Laura

 The Pinocchio: For meat lovers.  With both sopressata and prosciutto, this is a hefty hero, although the sweet peppers and fresh  mozzarella a little light.  The olive paste adds a pungent funk, so make sure you like olives.  








 The Monica: The combination of tangy gorgonzola with the umami of grilled portobellas and the toothsome house-made sundried tomatoes definitely conjure up a pizza-esque connotation.  The texture of the bread is perfectly balanced with the filling so when you bite down, the sandwich remains intact.  







The Gregorio:  Lip-smacking, fiery intensity the just makes you keep wanting more.  Every element packs a punch, from the soppressata to the hot peppers to the arugula, but the mozzarella keeps things under control.  Again, best with the Stirato bread.







The Laura: Focaccia (which was a little dry) split and spread with nutella and hot spread.  After The Gregorio, I didn't even detect the heat.  It was only upon the occasion for leftovers did it's profound heat appear to me.  It's a pretty fun little treat.  Hopefully you'll get fresher bread.

Bombolino filled with nutella-flavored cream.  It's a cannoli-esque creation, the filling flecks with bits of canditi and chocolate chips, like a Sicilian cannolo.  The dough is sweet and soft, dusted with just a bit of powdered sugar.  It's great.. even if a bit much to top off a substantial sandwich meal.