Last week I was fortunate to get to preview the offerings at Tramezzini’s first brick and mortar location on the Lower East Side. Tramezzini began their business as a vendor at the weekend food fair ‘Smorgasburg’ in Williamsburg and Prospect Park and was founded by brothers Filippo and Massimiliano Paccagnella, and their friend Davide Pedon, all hailing from Venice, Italy. For those of us not yet in the know, a tramezzino is an Italian sandwich made with soft, white bread with the crusts removed.
What makes Tramezzini NYC different from other sandwiches is the bread, the high quality ingredients and the preparation process. The basil and tomatoes are sourced from the famers market, and the mozzarella, bresaola (cured beef) and balsamic glaze are imported directly from Italy. The bread Tramezzini uses is artisanal bread imported from the countryside of Venice. It is healthy, low in calories and baked fresh with simple ingredients like flour and olive oil. The rising process takes up to two days, resulting in an extremely soft, flexible bread that is easily rolled. All the ingredients Tramezzini uses are natural and organic, with no pesticides or hormones added.
The menu consists of pork, chicken, tuna, vegetarian and vegan options, as well as a dessert trammezino with Nutella, strawberries, walnuts, chocolate sauce & sprinkles. You can choose either a cone (half a sandwich, or a basket (full sandwich). I asked Filippo which one was his favorite, and he said the ‘Pork Me Up’ was a must-try. Pork Me Up has roasted pork leg (porchetta trevigiana), caramelized onions, melted parmigiano & provolone, candy bacon, roasted peppers mayo, mustard, oregano & black pepper. The pork is so tender and flavorful, that once I’d finished eating it, I immediately wanted more. I also tried the chicken which was also very tasty, and my friend got the Tomatoes, Basil and Mozzarella tramezzino, with balsamic glaze and oregano and black pepper. Even though I came away feeling full, I didn’t feel like the sandwiches were heavy at all, and I was able to make the walk back to work with ease (which isn’t always the case with lunch!). All in all, I would say both my tastebuds and tummy were very happy.
As well as all the delicious food, we also got to try a couple of drinks popular in Italy. The first one was an Aperol spritz, which is made with Aperol and Prosecco. It is similar in taste to Campari, but sweeter. The second drink was non-alcoholic and extremely refreshing, ‘Mellownade’. Made in-house, with cantaloupe melon, lemon zest and cane sugar, this drink is 100% natural and free from any chemicals or corn syrup.
Tramezzini NYC’s grand opening is this Friday June 9th, 12pm-10pm, with $1 cones for the first 50 customers. All cones and baskets will be ‘Buy one, get one free’ all weekend.
Special thanks to Palate Connect for organising this event.
Tramezzini NYC: 309 E Houston St, New York, NY 10002
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