The ‘elevated sandwich’ is having its moment

The ‘elevated sandwich’ is having a moment, with boutique sandwich shops opening up in every major city across the country, giving Subway a run for its money.

These include bespoke stores Ciabatta and South Dowling Sandwiches in Sydney, Saluministi and Hector’s Deli in Melbourne and Perth’s Two Slices, along with Aussie franchise Sandwich Chefs and Firehouse Subs, the US chain that opened its first store at Westfield Mount Gravatt in Brisbane in June.

What better way to cement this delicious new gourmet sandwich era than with the opening of one of Italy’s most iconic sandwich shops in Australia?

It’s called All’Antico Vinaio, and the first location began trading on Friday, July 17 at 50 Pitt Street in Sydney’s Circular Quay. However, only hours after opening, the store has been forced to close temporarily due to a burst water pipe in the roof of the building”.

The store has confirmed it will reopen on Monday, July 27.

“We’re working to quickly and safely get back up and running so that we can return to making our much-loved schiacciata for the people of Sydney,” the team said in a statement.

The original store in Florence, Italy, is just as famous for its scrumptious over-filled schiacciata sandwiches as it is for the long lines of hungry customers that regularly form.

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All’Antico Vinaio now has over 60 locations around the world, including 20 each in Italy and the United States, and now one Down Under. (May Melbourne forgive them for opening their first location in Sydney...)

Owner and CEO Tommaso Mazzanti told nine.com.au opening a store in Australia had been a dream for many years.

“Sydney is an incredible city. It’s international, full of energy and has a fantastic food culture. It felt like the perfect place to begin our journey in Australia,” he said.

“Opening at Circular Quay, just steps away from the Opera House, makes this opening even more special. It’s difficult to describe the feeling of seeing our sign on the other side of the world in such an iconic place.”

Mazzanti feels quality sandwiches, such as those served at All’Antico Vinaio, are so successful because “people today are looking more and more for authenticity”.

“They want to know what they’re eating, recognise the ingredients and enjoy a genuine experience,” he said.

“Our schiacciata [bread] is built around exactly that: traditional Tuscan bread, outstanding ingredients and every sandwich prepared fresh in front of the customer. It’s simple food, but made with great care.”

Executive chef William Baffoni told nine.com.au the majority of All’Antico Vinaio’s ingredients – including their famous stracciatella cheese, buffalo mozzarella cheese, parmasen cheese, olive oil and cured meats – are imported from Italy, aside from one salami, while all their vegetables are locally sourced and produced.

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The schiacciata bread is made fresh on site, and staff undergo meticulous training to learn how to assemble a perfect All’Antico Vinaio sandwich.

“Usually we always start with our homemade cream. This could be potato cream, onion cream, pecorino cream, parmesan cream,” Baffoni said.

“The second ingredient usually is the vegetable we cook in the house, amazing zucchini, spicy eggplant and fresh tomato, which is a very nice combination with the prosciutto and the buffalo mozzarella.

“Usually, the last ingredients that we put on our schiacciata before we close it is always the meats.”

He’s not talking about one slice of cured meat, which could be porchetta, mortadella, or prosciutto. Picture a lavish layer of folded meat ribbons bursting out from one side of the sandwich, requiring a hefty first bite to get it started.

The store itself is a sight to behold.

Every detail reflects old-school Tuscany, from the red-tiled feature walls to the artwork from Italian towns, salamis hanging from a rack, a meat slicer constantly on the go, the soft Italian music and the aroma of olive oil being drizzled onto the still warm, freshly-baked bread – and friendly, knowledgeable staff moving it all along.

“We work hard to build a team that welcomes every customer as if they were coming into our own home,” Mazzanti said.

“We love talking to people, smiling, preparing every schiacciata right in front of them and creating an experience, not just serving a meal.

“If someone walks into our Sydney store and, even for just a few minutes, feels like they’re in Italy, then we’ve achieved exactly what we set out to do.”

Sandwich prices start from $19, which is a standard price for a sandwich like this, all the way up to $29 for the Sydney Special.

Each All’Antico Vinaio location gets its own unique menu item; in this case, it’s made using Papandrea’s award-winning wagyu bresola, parmasan shavings, and rocket.

Mazzanti said anyone who has visited the original store in Florence or one of their other international locations will find the quality at the Sydney outpost just as special.

“This is something that’s incredibly important to us. Before the opening, the Australian team came to Florence to learn how we work, our recipes and everything that makes All’Antico Vinaio what it is,” he said.

“At the same time, some members of our Italian team came to Sydney to work alongside the local team during the opening.

“Our strength is making sure that the quality, the recipes and the experience are exactly the same in every All’Antico Vinaio around the world.

“At the same time, we always like to create a special schiacciata inspired by the city or country that welcomes us. But the heart of All’Antico Vinaio never changes.”