Breadurrection

+ Leaving the sandwich desert

Author

Club:Sandwich
April 23, 2025

Last week our Oakland contingent mentioned taking a somewhat flexible approach to the whole "no bread during Passover" thing. Namely, eating a breaded and fried protein wedged between a delicious bun. Nice work. Here in Brooklyn I was abstaining and waiting for it all to end so I could get back to eating sandwiches that didn't instantly crumble when you took a bite. It was time for a sandwich resurrection.  

After some very intense internet research (read: looking up “sandwiches” in Google Maps), I decided to go with a place that’s been on my radar for a bit. An iconic Italian sandwich and mozzarella spot deep in old Brooklyn - Lioni Italian Heroes. 

If you've never been, Lioni's looks like an unassuming Italian deli from the outside. Don't be fooled.

For the uninitiated, Lioni's has been piling up some of NYC's most epic Italian heroes since 1980, and the family behind it has been making mozz in Lioni, Italy for over 100 years. 

Give yourself plenty of time to study the menu where there are 150+ Italian heroes named mostly for…well, Italian Heroes. From Marco Polo to Frank Sinatra you will find yourself going back and forth on what combination to order before just covering your eyes and pointing to one on the menu to pick. This is a Sistine Chapel level of sandwich artistry, so you can’t go wrong. 

After careful deliberation, I settled on two heroes. Because I deserve the right to give myself new stomach issues after dealing with the matzo related ones. 

First up: The Alyssa Milano. Chicken cutlet, crispy prosciutto, basil sauce, and fresh mozz on their house bread. 

Don’t worry, Tony Danza has his own hero to round out the “Who’s the Boss?” section of the menu. 

Next up: The Tony LoBianco. Rare roast beef, stuffed mushrooms, brown gravy, mozz, salt, and pepper. 

Tony LoBianco was an actor so prolific his credits include 4 different characters across 2 different Law and Orders.

So there you have it. Freed from bread bondage with two great stacks by Lioni.

But wait! There is a whole other major holiday that we have to address! While chocolate eggs and bunnies are part of the fun they don’t tend to make great sandwiches. Leftover ham does, though.

Check out this beautiful homemade Cubano made with Easter ham. Take note and squirrel away some leftovers for one next year.

Until next week, may your bread be soft and sturdy. 

 

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