L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2017 www.italoamericano.org 14 L'Italo-Americano NEW YORK ITALIAN COMMUNITY I t's noon in Florence, and you find a spot on the steps of the Duomo. After a bitterly cold winter, you feel your skin gladly soak up the sun shining down on you. You watch passersby mar- vel at Brunelleschi's master- piece. It's lunchtime and you're starved. As you bite into the salt- less bread of your panino you feel the flavors of the fresh savory meat and cheese excite your taste buds. You smile to yourself, and think, 'Is there any- thing more perfect than this?' For vacationers and students studying abroad in Italy, the panino at pranzo (lunch) is one of the most memorable parts of Italian culture. When did the Italian panino become so popular? I spoke with one of the original sources in Florence, and then to the mae- stro's who brought the authentic panino to New York City. Located off the beaten path, and nestled under the Arch of St. Peter is Antico Noè, one of the oldest and most famous paniner- ie (sandwich shops) in Florence. If you've studied abroad in the medieval city you have undoubt- edly heard of or visited the shop, which at lunchtime is bound to have lines of hungry people spilling out the door. According to co-owner Luca Bruzzi, "There are historical records that indi- cate that the shop was around as early as 1561." In those days, it most likely served as a wine shop where people would stop for refreshments. It is mentioned again in records from the 1800's, but then not until after World War II. It isn't until after 1945 that the shop started to take on it's modern role as a panineria. Historically, the original pani- no started as a meal for the poor. Filled with lampredotto (the fourth and final stomach of the cow), the meal was especially popular in the 15th century among those who could only afford the leftover cuts of meat. "Then the panino underwent an evolution, and the principal products manufactured in Italy, like prosciutto and salami, went into our panini," says Bruzzi. Walter Momentè is the owner of the Alidoro sandwich shop, which has been serving the New York City community for thirty years. Today Momente has three locations in Soho, Noho, and Midtown Manhattan. He shares that in recent years there has been a development in the Italian panino. Until not too long ago, it typically consisted of only a thin slice of mozzarella and one type of meat. Today, paninerie in Italian cities are offering cus- tomers a richer pranzo experi- ence. "Some Italians [in New York] don't calculate the fact that there has been a growth in Italian cui- sine. In Italy, in the small vil- lages, maybe you won't find shops that make different kinds of panini. You will find the pani- no with sopressata or mortadella, and that's it. But if you go to cities like Florence or Rome you will find panini like the ones I make, that have other ingredients too," he says. Still, there is a notable differ- ence between the authentic Italian panino and the American conception of it. According to Italian standards, less is more. "In Italian culture, one can add different ingredients, but not too many because what is important is to be able to distinguish between the different tastes. American culture puts tons of stuff into the panino, believing that the more you add, the better the panino," Bruzzi adds. In fact, don't expect to find ingredients such as ketchup, avo- cado, mayonnaise, mustard, or tomato sauce at Alidoro. According to Momente, those ingredients don't belong in the Italian panino and he intends to keep it that way. "In New York it's okay, because the average New Yorker travels. Therefore, VINCENZA DI MAGGIO traveling and going to Italy, they see our culture and the kind of panino we make," he says. Take one look at the line of people waiting out the door for a panino on their lunch break at 1:30pm and one thing is clear: New Yorkers appreciate authenticity. For many, the panino is not only an important meal, but it also represents the memory of a life-changing experience in Italy. On February 29th, 2016, after 71 years of business, Antico Noè opened it's second ever location in Midtown Manhattan. Entrepreneurs Michael Grant and Vinny Dautaj met while living in Florence nine years ago. After training at the shop in Florence for two months, the pair was able to bring the authentic Florentine panino to New York City streets. "Antico Noè is something that has an extreme cult following here in America," says Grant. Not only are the ingredients in their panini the same as their Florentine counterparts, but they have also replicated Florence's famously salt-less bread. "Hundreds of years ago there was a salt tap in the region of Umbria. It was too expensive to make bread with salt and so they traditionally, to this day, make the bread with very minimal salt in Florence," explains Grant. The only difference between the two shops is that at the New York location they are unable to prepare the sandwiches directly in front of the customers, due to time constraints. "People in Florence are willing to wait if it takes twenty minutes to make a sandwich. Here in New York it's a very different mentality and customer. Everyone is in a rush, everyone wants what they want and they want it quickly, and it better be good," he says. To serve the fast-paced New York lifestyle, they selected the top ten sandwiches from Antico Noè's menu which they freshly prepare each morning. After picking their panino, customers only wait three and a half minutes for it to be pressed, and they're out the door. "People come in and they're hysterically crying. It's a strong nostalgic emotion that is brought back to many of these people," says Grant. New Yorkers can relive those blissful memories of relishing a panino in the streets of Italy by visiting shops like Alidoro and Antico Noè. Bite into your pani- no and close your eyes, you may just feel as if you're back in Italy, if only for a moment. Reliving the Authentic Italian Panino in New York City Alidoro's location in Midtown Manhattan. Photo courtesy of Alidoro

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