A Sandwich a Day: Napolitano at Piatto Pronto

[Photograph: Josh Conley]

There's just something inherently sexy about a sandwich wrapped in 50-lb. brown paper. You carry it down the street with a Godfather swagger that you just can't pull off with a Subway bag. Around the neighborhood, everybody gives you a respectful nod; it's just understood. Around Andersonville, if you want that kind of sandwich experience, you go to Piatto Pronto and order the Napolitano (6" $4.99, 12" $6.99).

Deceptively simple, the Napolitano consists of razor-thin slices of imported sopressata, Calabrese salami, prosciutto cotto, provolone, shredded lettuce, and tomato slices. The beauty is how owner Mike Itta conducts such a flavor symphony out of this modest sextet. You get the salt of the prosciutto, the spice of the salami, the garlic from the sopressata. Yet it's all subtle, almost delicate, which I'll attribute to the fact that the slices are so thin. The lettuce adds just enough crunch, and the locally-bought bread, like perfectly-cooked ribs, has tug to it. And to the victor goes the spoils of the best Italian sub this side of Taylor Street. And a side of swagger.

Piatto Pronto

5624 North Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60660 (map)
773-334-5688
piattoprontodeli.com