Pino's Sandwiches

First of all, sorry this is the first post in several days. Things have been crazy here this past week!

 Also, I would like to apologize in advance for the overload of posts that are about to be written in the next few days. I constantly keep a running list of what I want to blog about for my next post. Seeing that I haven't blogged in a while, my list is extremely long and I refuse to take anything off of it!

So that said, let's talk about panini's.

At home, my family and I fondly refer to our panini maker as "ni-ni" and even call our panini's "ni-ni's." We love them. We love how the cheese melts into the tortilla if we are making quesadillas or how the turkey and mustard melt into the bread if we are making a sandwhich. They are practically a weeknight staple at the Trusty household.

No more than 48 hours after I arrived in Italy, I discovered that panini's are a coveted lunch time item here and are just as popular as pizza or pasta.

There it was.

Another sure fire sign that I was in the right place.

While I do love this other panini place called "Antico Noe," my favorite has to be Pino's, which is really called "Salumeria Verdi" (Pino's is just a nickname). For 3.50 Euro, you can choose from a wide selection of panini's ranging from "The Turkey Best," which includes: turkey, eggplant, spinach, peppers and hot sauce, or the classic "Caprese," which has fresh tomato and mozzarella and Pino's famous pesto.

I also love this place because the panini's are made right in front of you. They are not sitting around for hours waiting to be heated up (which is how most panini places are here). All of his ingredients are made fresh everyday!

Unlike Antico's, there is a huge seating area where you can sit and enjoy each other's company while also enjoying a delicious panini. And, if the weather is nice, Piazza Santa Croce is a five minute walk from Pino's so you can sit in the Piazza on a warm sunny day and enjoy your sandwich there!

Here, I typically order the "Caprese," because it never fails to satisfy me. However, today I was feeling lucky and decided to order the "Fantasy," which is the American equivalent of "Build Your Own," and allows you to choose any five ingredients.

I kept it simple and went with turkey and mozzarella with pesto and hot sauce. I wanted to add sauteed peppers to it as well, but Mr. Pino himself had already placed my ni-ni in the press.

By the time Mr. Pino took it out of the press, the cheese had melted to perfection and the pesto and hot sauce had spread throughout the entire sandwich and were practically dripping after ever bite I took.

(The best panini ever)

Despite it's lack of peppers, it was by far one of the best panini's I've had in Italy thus far. In fact, just writing about it is making me want it again. Trusty Fam, get ready for Pino's!

If you ever come to Florence, Pino's Sandwiches is a must!


XOXO,
Meggie