The meats must be of the highest quality. Thus, the best Italian sandwiches are often found at Italian delis, where the product and the slicers are close at hand. The provolone deployed makes a real difference. Will it be sharp or mild, aged or young? The oil and vinegar must have a steadying presence: no dripping, no acidic mouth burn, in balance with bread that fights back against sogginess. As an inherently handmade product, an Italian sandwich will be a little different every time. It is helpful if the same person is behind the counter, making your sandwich visit after visit. If the shop has been in the family for decades, this bodes well.
Get Winter Soup Club
A six-week series featuring soup recipes and cozy vibes, plus side dishes and toppings, to get us all through the winter.
The Italiano from Salumeria Italiana in the North End: salami, provolone, lettuce, tomato, hot peppers, olive oil, wine vinegar.Devra First
The search for the best Italian sandwich begins in the North End, Boston’s epicenter of the form. At Dino’s, a friendly and crowded cafe that also serves a long list of pasta dishes, you want the Italian’s Italian ($16). The sandwiches here are 16 inches long, stuffed with Genoa salami, mortadella, sweet capicola, and provolone. The bread works, a neutral foil for the fillings. There are pickles in here, applied with restraint. Red onions are sliced ultra-thin in rings, the best way for onions to be sliced; in the generous oil and vinegar applied here, they become almost a quick pickle. The crushed red chiles applied over everything make the sandwich pop visually and provide glorious, mouth-warming heat. The conundrum here is that Dino’s sandwich is too big to eat in one sitting, too messy and drippy with chiles, oil, and vinegar to save half for later. The only solution is to share. And get plenty of napkins.
Salumeria Italiana in the North End.Devra First
Salumeria Italiana, an Italian specialty store where you can buy olives, pasta, espresso, and a million tempting bites and spreads in cans and jars, is rightfully known for the sandwiches sold at its deli counter. We’ll talk about the porchetta another time: Today is the Italiano’s moment to shine ($10). The bread, a squared-off ciabatta roll, is caramel-colored and airy with a chewy crust. The chalkboard of sandwiches promises provolone and “our favorite salami” — on a recent visit, three kinds with various levels of marbling and piquancy. The provolone is pleasingly assertive. The fillings taste aged, distinctive. There’s a proper ratio of shredded lettuce and tomatoes, although the red onions are cut a bit thick. I’ve brought visitors to Salumeria Italiana as a last stop before heading to Logan; this sandwich provides excellent midflight sustenance. Sorry, fellow passengers.
The Italian sandwich at Bricco Salumeria in the North End: mortadella, Genoa salami, soppressata, provolone, lettuce, tomato, onion, hot peppers, olive oil, vinegar, and oregano.Devra First
Restaurateur Frank DePasquale is all over the North End, with spots like Bricco Ristorante & Enoteca, Mare, and Trattoria Il Panino. Duck down Board Alley off of Hanover Street and you’ll find Bricco Salumeria & Pasta Shop, a deli, grocery, and handmade pasta purveyor. The Italian here is filled with mortadella, Genoa salami, soppressata, provolone, lettuce, tomato, onion, and hot peppers ($12.95). Golden and crusty, the bread is good enough to eat on its own, dipped in oil or spread with butter. Olive oil and vinegar are applied with a steady hand, along with a welcome sprinkle of fragrant oregano. Lettuce and onion are cut fine. You can see the quality of the meats, the mortadella containing fine slices of green pistachios. This is the most balanced of the North End Italian sandwiches, and my favorite among them. (It is imperative to stop at next door Bricco Panetteria for one of the stellar sfogliatelle, maybe the best $3 you can spend in the neighborhood.)
The Classic Italian at Domenic’s Italian Bakery & Deli in Waltham: mortadella, Genoa salami, provolone, hots.Devra First
There is an argument to be made that the best Italian sandwich is the one nearby, and sometimes that is true — especially if you live near Tony’s Market in Roslindale. In addition to offering the best lamb (owner Tony DeBenedictis trims meat as gracefully as he ballroom dances) and the best lasagna, Tony’s makes a classic Italian sandwich with Genoa salami, mortadella, provolone, lettuce, tomato, hots, olive oil, and balsamic glaze ($7.99). In Waltham, Domenic’s Italian Bakery & Deli bakes its own ciabatta, soft and lightly dusty with flour, waiting in racks for your order. The classic Italian ($12.99), with mortadella, Genoa salami, provolone, and the fixings, is very good (if a little heavy on the vinegar), but the Dom’s Special ($15.99) adds in sopressa, capicola, and prosciutto and is even better.
The Super Hot Italian at DePasquale’s at Night Caps Corner: hot capicola, pepperoni, hot salami, provolone, tomatoes, lettuce, hots, banana peppers, onions, and oil.Devra First
In Newton, DePasquale’s at Night Caps Corner offers the Little Gino Brizz (with salami, mortadella, sweet capicola, provolone, and the works, $11.50) and a spicy version, the Super Hot Italian (hot capicola, pepperoni, hot salami, provolone, hots, and banana peppers, $11.50).
At Bob’s in Medford, the Deluxe Italian with prosciutto di Parma, sopressata, capicola, mortadella, provolone, pickles, tomatoes, onions, hot cherry peppers, olive oil, and seasoning.Devra First
Worth a drive from anywhere is Bob’s Italian Foods. The Medford spot, opened in 1936, is beloved for many reasons: the handmade pasta, the Easter pie, the cases stocked with sauces, calzones, tripe, and decadent desserts. The classic Italian sub (small $13.50) might be chief among them. Into fresh, braided bread topped with sesame seeds (gluten-free French bread is also available), Genoa salami, hot ham, mortadella, and provolone are lovingly folded, along with fiery red peppers, oil, and a sprinkle of oregano (plus too many pickles for my liking, but that’s easily remedied). I like the Deluxe Italian — with prosciutto di Parma, soppressata, capicola, mortadella, and provolone (small $14.50) — even better. A heavy hand with the dressing and a squishier bread make this an “eat immediately” proposition. Sogginess is nigh. Do what you must.
An Italian at Bob’s in Medford.David L. Ryan/Globe Staff
Then keep driving north, to Revere. New Deal Fruit, run by the fourth generation of the Petruzzelli family, is one of the best overall sub shops around. (You can also get, you know, fruit.) The range is astounding. You might order the Prosciutto Papi (Parma prosciutto, chicken cutlets, fresh mozzarella, and broccoli rabe with roasted peppers), the Eastie (steak, cheese, sausage, and pepperoni, with or without tomato sauce), or the Double Play (roast beef and cheese with two chicken cutlets, BBQ sauce, and mayonnaise — “great for hangovers,” promises the handwritten sign), Triple Play (add French fries and onion rings to the mix), or Grand Slam (also add mozzarella sticks — “if you over 35 do not order young guys sub here!!”). In the face of such creativity, it’s almost hard to justify sticking with a classic Italian ($12.99), but you won’t be sorry. It’s an excellent version, with mortadella, capicola, salami, provolone, and just enough pickles, onions, lettuce, tomato, and hots, all finely cut. There are also variations on the theme: the Big Bambino (Italian sub with two chicken cutlets, roasted red peppers, and grated Romano), the Louie Prima (Italian sub with four meatballs, sauce, and grated cheese), the Revere Tornado (Italian sub with homemade tomato salad — “very messy!!”). The sandwiches are the size of a small child. Also get arancini the size of a small child’s head and a thick slice of torrone for the road.
A classic Italian sub at New Deal Fruit in Revere.Devra First
But the best Italian sandwich in Boston can be found in Hyde Park, at Tutto Italiano, opened in 1987. Siblings Emilio and Marilena Locilento run the shop, with their father, founder Angelo, serving as “consigliere,” Emilio says. (Angelo is also the founder of Cambridge restaurant Gran Gusto, which he sold to partners in 2013.) The bread is baked on premises every day, and you can choose from sub rolls, ciabatta, bastone, and more. My choice is treccia, a sesame seed-studded braid, available in small ($12.50) or large ($17). The Italian sandwich here contains mortadella, salami, soppressata, and provolone, kissed by oregano, graced by oil and vinegar. Everything is combined in perfect, balanced proportions. You might as well get the large: If you and yours don’t finish it today, it will still be great, and not soggy, tomorrow. I also love the Panino, with prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, and basil. And I never leave without coffee beans, maybe some of the olive oil the family makes in Italy every year and sells from a spigot, and random treats: pasta, candies, fizzy digestive remedies. There is always a line here, for a reason. Tutto Italiano’s Italian sandwich is worth the wait.
Marilena Locilento and her brother Emilio Locilento at their family’s Italian gourmet store, Tutto Italiano, in Hyde Park.Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff
Domenic’s Italian Bakery & Deli, 987 Main St, Waltham, 781-899-3817, www.getdoms.com
DePasquale’s at Night Caps Corner, 339 River St., Newton, 617-916-1842, www.depasqualesdeli.com
Bob’s Italian Foods, 324 Main St., Medford, 781-395-0400, www.bobsfood.com
Dino’s, 141 Salem St., North End, Boston, 617-227-1991.
New Deal Fruit, 920 Broadway, Revere, 781-284-9825, www.newdealfruit.com
Salumeria Italiana, 151 Richmond St., North End, Boston, 617-523-8743, www.salumeriaitaliana.com
Bricco Salumeria & Pasta Shop, 11 Board Alley, North End, Boston, 617-248-9629, www.briccosalumeria.com
Tony’s Market, 4381 Washington St., Roslindale, 617-323-7313, www.tonysmarketroslindale.com
Tutto Italiano, 1889 River St., Hyde Park, 617-361-4700, www.tuttoit.com
We want to know: Where’s your favorite place to get an Italian sandwich? Fill out the form below to share your thoughts.
Devra First can be reached at devra.first@globe.com. Follow her on Instagram @devrafirst.