in Maine, where to get the best Italian sandwich?

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we have visited Portland, ME a few times, and I was curious to find a little place called Colluci's (there was a nice writeup in Gourmet magazine, of all places)to get an Italian. it was very good; basically it is what we would call down here in PA a hoagie or in NY, a hero. the main difference is in ME they seem to prefer a softer bread.
anyway, I've been reading up on the history of the Italian in ME, and Amato's gets mentioned often. any opinions on it from ones who know?
 
amatos is overpriced and bland. They do however sell bread and I got a sub from a mom&pop competitor using their bread!!! Try Ananinas, there's one on 22/congress st just west of 295 and a couple others scattered around as well.

Be sure to get salt/pepper/oil. Good picknicking on the eastern prom or back bay.

Pablo, "an italian" is not "italian chow".
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Originally Posted By: eljefino
amatos is overpriced and bland. They do however sell bread and I got a sub from a mom&pop competitor using their bread!!! Try Ananinas, there's one on 22/congress st just west of 295 and a couple others scattered around as well.

Be sure to get salt/pepper/oil. Good picknicking on the eastern prom or back bay.

Pablo, "an italian" is not "italian chow".
wink.gif


thanks, I'll need to make a note about Ananinas.
I love downtown Portland. we hit up Gilberts Chowder House on the pier also, great stuff.
 
FYI, I've driven from CT to ME for 2 hours of work and have brought back a bag of Italians. Never thought I would see it discussed on BITOG. Soft bread a must, and diced onions. Good to let them sit a few hours.
 
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They should be talking about a panino -- an Italian bread like ciabatta, stuffed with prosciutto or ham, pancetta or porchetta, cheese, sometimes also spinach, tomatoes etc. It's usually grilled and served hot. For all I know they might be talking about two slices of extra honkey-white, crustless Wonderbread with spam, spray "cheese" and BBQ sauce on it.
 
Originally Posted By: moribundman
They should be talking about a panino


we call that a pannini.

depending where you are in the US, depends on what you call it.
subs

down where I'm from, a hoagie or hero is a crusty italian roll, stuffed w/ whatever you want. the difference in Maine is the Italian has a soft bread, and doesn't have lettuce or tomato.
Louisiana has TWO well known versions- the po'boy, which is a roll usually stuffed w/ fried shrimp or fish. the muffalatta is more like an Italian style, the essential ingredient being a special olive dressing.
 
Originally Posted By: mpvue
Originally Posted By: moribundman
They should be talking about a panino


we call that a pannini.


That shows what you don't know. First of all, panino and panini are always spelled with two n, and not ever with three. Second, panini is plural of panino. Not my fault that most Murrikans can't get it right (See biscotto versus biscotti) and also don't have an interest in even trying to get it right. Happy munchin your unauthentic "Italian" sammiches.
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sorry, it looks right w/ 'nn' in the middle. as for the plural thing, I'm not Italian, and I've never seen 'panino'. in 'murrika, we have panini presses, never seen a panino press, so that is the word we use.
from the exalted wikipedia:
The word "panino" [pa'ni:no] is Italian (literally meaning small bread roll), with the plural panini. "Panini" is often used in a singular sense by speakers of English and French, as for "salami" (Italian plural for salame), and pluralised solecismically into "paninis".
and there is one 'm' in samiches
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Originally Posted By: moribundman
Happy munchin your unauthentic "Italian" sammiches.
wink.gif


oh, the all knowing mori had to make an edit?

you are hardly qualified to declare anything 'unauthentic'; or do you have a doctorate in traditional American food?
 
well, you can go to an area and order a local item in the local tongue, or you can go around correcting everyone. but if I go in to a cafe in the US and order a panini, they will know what I'm talking about. if I order a poor boy in south Louisiana, they'll go 'w t f'? they say po' boy.
and yes, I know ordering a 'latte' in Italy w/ just get you hot milk, but in the US it's understood to mean a coffee w/ milk.
but that's the root of the problem, isn't it? you just refuse to understand differences in how phrases evolve and just want to correct and crititize (and just for you, I'm not going to correct my spelling).
 
I'm going to stop participating in my thread now, since friggin mori fcked it all up. thanks.
 
Since you believe having common knowledge requires a doctorate, I must wonder on what niveau you muck about. Removing yourself from this thread is the best thing you can do, Hoss.
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Too many people have the idea that an "Italian Sandwich" is the chrap you get at Subway, with greasy salami, pepperoni(or is it pepperono?) and some nasty white cheese product.

In Chicago we have "Italian Beef Sandwiches", correctly pronounced as "I-talin Beef Sammich" which is something like shredded seasoned roast beef that soaks in au jus. I'll take mine extra gravy with sweet peppers, please.

I gave up on trying to find a decent Italian sub around here, I make my own. Hard salami, prosciutto, artichokes, peppers, cheese, capers, olives, lettuce, etc. Now that's a sandwich! Plus I don't have to worry that the bung head making it just took a #2 without washing the phalanges.
 
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