Staten Island's best sandwich shop hasn't reached its peak yet

And other unforgettable foods in the Forgotten Borough

“If there was one sandwich on the menu you’d put up against any sandwich in NYC, what would it be?”

That’s the message I sent Anthony Valois, owner of Anthony’s Paninoteca, roughly 24 hours before ambling into his establishment on Staten Island. His menu board of over 30 sandwiches is stacked with odes to New York City, like the “Do it for Johnny,” named for John’s Deli in Bensonhurst. It was recently named one of the New York Times’ 57 Sandwiches that Define New York City.

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He’d been stressing from the moment he received my text. Despite his best efforts, Anthony can’t stop pushing. His previous restaurant, Corner House BBQ, was beloved and award-winning. But he shut it down after COVID, when the toll of operating a large BBQ restaurant became too much. Instead, he opened up a humble sandwich shop that excels in imported Italian breads and meats. Simple.

The trouble is, Anthony’s Paninoteca has become much more than a humble sandwich shop. On Wednesdays, he sells pastrami that he cures and smokes in-house. Thursday is house-made porchetta (the best sandwich on the menu, in my opinion.) Other days, he imports par-baked schiacciata bread from Italy, and lathers on high-quality stracciatella, mortadella, and pesto.

“I can’t keep up with this shit,” he said. “Remember when you came in last year, we were talking about the pastrami? We were making 2, 3. Now we're making 15 or 16.”

We decided the #10 would be the best sandwich for me. The AGV comes stacked with paper-thin chicken cutlets, fresh mozzarella, prosciutto, capicola, and giardiniera. I asked if he made the giardiniera in-house. He deflated.

“In my mind now I’m thinking, ‘I can’t believe I’m not fermenting my own f***ing vegetables,’” he told me. “You can’t say these things.”

“You’ve already climbed the mountain,” I reminded him.

“There’s no end to that. You can’t see the summit. It’s just a continuous climb.”

The porchetta sandwich with broccoli rabe is only available Thursdays

📍 Anthony’s Paninoteca

3994 Amboy Rd, Staten Island, NY 10308

And now, for my favorite slice of pizza in New York…