Anthony's Paninoteca

"Looking for the city's very best sandwiches? They're on Staten Island. On Wednesdays, Anthony's Paninoteca makes pastrami. On Thursdays, they make porchetta. And on Tuesdays, the special is The KiKi—a bread-based behemoth involving lemony layers of chicken francese and melted mozzarella, which you can (and should) get on a hero made of butter-soaked garlic bread. In other words, there is no bad day to come to this shop in Great Kills. Though young compared to some of the other Italian sandwich shops on this list, Anthony's small counter with four stools in the window and chandeliers on the ceiling feels like an instant classic. The Order: The Crispy Porchetta, The KiKi, or a pastrami sandwich if they’re available—or the roast beef-filled Do It For Johnny if not. Plus a cold sandwich to balance things out (try The Maria, with mortadella and fried eggplant)." - will hartman, willa moore, neha talreja, bryan kim, sonal shah, molly fitzpatrick

"In terms of Italian sandwich shops, Anthony's is relatively young, but it already feels like an instant classic. That's partly because of their weekly special sandwiches with housemade meats: crispy porchetta on Thursday, juicy pastrami on Wednesday, and on Tuesday, the KiKi: chicken francese and melty mozzarella on a hero that can be made into butter-soaked garlic bread if you want—and trust us, you want. No matter what day you come to this Great Kills spot with four stools in the window and chandeliers hanging from the all-black ceiling, you'll have a great sandwich. Balance your hot special with something cold from their regular menu—like a muffuletta, or a panino prosciutto on schiacciata imported from Italy." - willa moore

"On Wednesdays, Anthony's Paninoteca makes their own pastrami. But on Thursdays, they make their own porchetta. And on Tuesday, there’s The KiKi—a bread-based behemoth involving lemony layers of chicken francese and melted mozzarella, which soak into a hero that you can (and should) have made into butter-soaked garlic bread. In other words, there is no bad day to come to this Staten Island sandwich shop. And if owner Anthony Valois tells you to get the day’s special while slicing bread behind the counter, you should listen. The Great Kills spot has a few chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, as if to remind you that sure, this is a sandwich shop, but you’re still going to eat something absolutely lavish. There’s a full menu of large hot and cold sandwiches, and we'd go with a couple of people, so you can round out your pastrami sandwich with a muffuletta, or a hero with chicken cutlet and prosciutto. photo credit: Willa Moore photo credit: Willa Moore photo credit: Sonal Shah There are four stools in the window, but on a nice day, it's worth getting an assortment of sandwiches, some fancy chips and drinks (they even make their own espresso soda), and heading to a park for a feast. You could also keep this spot in mind for your next catering order. Food Rundown photo credit: Sonal Shah Crispy Porchetta Available on Thursdays, this is a fantastic porchetta-based sandwich, with a mix of juicy white meat and crunchy scraps of skin, hugged by a thick slab of smoked mozzarella. Adding broccoli rabe for a bitter note is a must. photo credit: Sonal Shah Do It For Johnny Homemade roast beef is bathed in hot gravy before being rolled into a fat sandwich with mozzarella and caramelized onions, which meld into a jammy, umami, french onion soup-y mass. Perfect for when you’re in a hot meat-and-cheese mood. photo credit: Willa Moore The Maria A good choice from the cold sandwich section, The Maria has mortadella, fried eggplant, and not one but two types of cheese—sharp provolone, and fresh mozzarella. One of them lasted us about a week. The KiKi You might be nervous about all the melted mozzarella and butter resulting in the sort of sandwich that could get very soggy, very quick. Don’t worry. Even if you get the hero as garlic bread, it’s up to the task of holding in the lightly-breaded, citrusy chicken francese. photo credit: Sonal Shah Panino Prosciutto Several sandwiches are available on schiacciata, a flat, craggy bread imported from Italy, and you should try at least one. This one has an inch of imported prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, and a layer of sweet, preserve-like caponata." - Willa Moore