Si Cara’s meatball sub.
Credit: Photo by Joe St. Pierre
Some of the country’s best versions of classic sandwiches can be found at pizza shops, whether it’s a superlative cheesesteak or a heroic hero. It makes sense: The base ingredients are already on hand, and the tools, mainly a nice, big oven, are in place. All it takes is a little time, will, and know-how.
“Flour, water, and yeast will make a baguette or pizza dough. It’s like architecture,” says legendary pizzaiolo Chris Bianco, of Pizzeria Bianco and Pane Bianco. “Just gotta find the appropriate vehicle for the task at hand.”
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Over at the famed Angelo’s Pizzeria in South Philly, owner and baker Danny DiGiampietro bakes bread all day. The results are beautiful, golden-brown missiles studded with sesame seeds, which he splits and stuffs generously with glorious cheese-smothered steak.
“Before the meat and cheese, the first thing you taste when you bite into a sandwich is the bread,” says DiGiampietro. “The bread is the star.”
Below, find five pizzerias across the country where you’ll want to save stomach space for both sandwich and a slice.
Mama’s Too (New York City)
The Chicken alla Vodka sandwich at Mama’s Too.
Credit: Courtesy of Mama’s Too
Frank Tuttolomondo grew up in South Queens eating heroes. Naturally, he thought it’d be a good idea to give his slice-shop regulars at Mama’s Too something special in sandwich form. The results are incredible. His Chicken alla Vodka starts with a seeded semolina roll that’s baked daily. Breaded chicken cutlets are fried to order and stuffed into the roll. It’s splashed with a zingy vodka sauce that’s boosted by an aromatic sofrito base deglazed with wine, topped with a whole torn burrata, and finished with a squiggle of bright green pesto to punch through the richness.
Angelo’s Pizzeria (Philadelphia)
A pizza pilgrimage to Angelo’s should be on the list for anyone in Philly. But its cheesesteak? That’s a spiritual experience. The seeded baguette is baked fresh all day, so the bread is about two hours old at most. The sliced ribeye is seasoned with salt and pepper, mixed together with a choice of cheese. (I recommend Cooper Sharp. Proprietor Danny DiGiampietro prefers provolone.) Top it off with fried onions and taste heaven.
Related: The F&W Guide to Making Pizza at Home
Pane Bianco (Los Angeles)
The roast beef sandwich at Pane Bianco.
Credit: Courtesy of Pane Bianco Los Angeles
Angelenos are lucky to have the legendary pizzaiolo Chris Bianco at ROW DTLA, the 32-acre industrial mixed-use complex. Bianco sells his thin, crispy, New York-style pizza by the slice at his daytime Pane Bianco. But his sandwiches on baguettes made in-house are excellent. The roast beef sandwich is a nod to the simple New York deli classic he enjoyed as a kid: roast beef, black pepper, and mayo. His Los Angeles version comes gussied up with fermented fresno chile butter, briny pickled banana peppers, a creamy allium aioli, and thin slices of slow-roasted beef. It’s an architectural masterpiece.
Post Alley Pizza (Seattle)
Italian hoagies from Post Alley.
Credit: Courtesy of Post Alley
Like many other chefs, Andrew Gregory started in fine dining before he entered the pizza game. When the pandemic hit, he started to make sandwiches out of his pizza dough to expand his menu. He blends two types of local flours from Cairnspring Mills, in nearby Skagit Valley, for his bread dough. The sandwiches proved a hit, and they’ve been a menu mainstay since at Post Alley Pizza. Get the Italian hoagie, layered with sharp provolone and a meaty mix of smoked ham, fennel salami, and hot coppa. It’s topped with a shredded lettuce mix, shaved red onion, zingy Italian vinaigrette, dried oregano and grated parm. Request the “hoagie jazz,” a supplemental spread that adds an umami oomph of anchovies, Calabrian chilies, olives, hot honey, and roasted garlic.
Related: We Tasted 17 Frozen Cheese Pizzas — and These 5 Are Better Than Delivery
Si Cara (Boston)
The meatball sub at Si Cara.
Credit: Photo by Joe St. Pierre
Michael Lombardi’s blistered, thick-rimmed pies at Si Cara are works of art. The canotto-style pizza, a Neapolitan offshoot, features a high hydration dough that’s naturally leavened with a two-day ferment. It results in a more complex and concentrated flavor. He uses this same dough to craft his meatball subs, baked to order in a ripping-hot dome oven. The sub is packed with melty provolone and rich ricotta, tomato sauce, garlic butter, fresh basil, and, of course, plenty of meatballs.
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