There are a lot of good sandwich options at Findlay Market. There's the Upper Peninsula from Carl's Deli, with turkey, Havarti, avocado and banana peppers. There's the occasional appearance of the Mississippi Philly Pot Roast sandwich at Eckerlin Meats; the vegan Turkey Havarti sandwich atHarmony Plant Fare
, with seitan turkey, vegan cheese and beet relish, and the always reliable pulled pork sandwich from Eli's.Now let's add one more sandwich to that list. The Amore Italiano ($10) at Makers Bakers is as good a representation of an authentic Italian sandwich as you'll find in Cincinnati. Part of the reason is its simplicity of its ingredients: a simple pile of paper-thinly sliced prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, arugula and a balsamic glaze.
It's
Makers Bakers owners Kevin Foston and Tara Patterson's take on thetraditional Italian train station sandwich, which are found in, you guessed it, train stations all over Italy, though they are also made with speck. They keep it authentic by letting the nutty, buttery prosciutto be the star of the show, instead of battling it out with two or three other Italian deli meats as most Italian-American sandwiches do.
What makes the sandwich truly grand, though, is that it's served on Foston and Patterson's freshly made focaccia, which is crispy instead of bready, providing a perfect bite without any tugging or gnawing. The prosciutto melts in your mouth, the arugula provides a peppery kick and the balsamic glaze gives it the perfect amount of sweetness. Now, that's Italian.
181 Race St., Findlay Market, 513-807-9748, makersbakers.com.
Highly Recommended is a weekly spotlight on some of food writer Keith Pandolfi's favorite finds as he eats his way across Greater Cincinnati. Find more of his recent food writing here.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: This sandwich is found at train stations all over Italy. Try it here
