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Thursday, January 21, 2010

Battle of the dishes

Battle of the dishes: Italian sandwiches

Posted by Jonathan Bender on Thu, Jan 21, 2010 at 1:00 PM

click to enlarge A full loaf sandwich from La Sala's Deli is not to be ordered lightly.
  • A full loaf sandwich from La Sala's Deli is not to be ordered lightly.

No, your regularly scheduled Fat City programming has not been replaced with an episode of Man Vs. Food. It's not an eating challenge; what you're seeing is the full loaf sandwich from La Sala's Deli -- one of the two competitors in this battle of the Italian Sandwiches -- and yes, it's as big as a man's forearm.

This battle of the dishes pits the full loaf supreme from the deli near the City Market against the Il Saro from Bella Napoli in Brookside.

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Bella Napoli -- Il Saro (genoa salami, mortadella, capicola, provolone, lettuce, tomato and gardiniera, $6.49).

This is the fancy lady of sandwiches -- it is proper and well put together, the kind of sandwich you'd bring home to mom and dad. Everything blends nicely -- the sharp balsamic vinegar and spicy gardiniera (you can tell it's homemade) give way to a balanced mix of Italian meats, which are the buttery stars of what's going into your face.


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The meats and cheese are thinly sliced from behind a counter brimming with imported proscuitto, stuffed peppers and hard cheeses -- and that helps build anticipation. The bread is soft, slightly crusty, mostly chewy -- but not too big a part of the sandwich. The lettuce and tomato don't add to the overall experience and made me wish for roasted peppers instead, which would have been a better compliment to the heat of the gardiniera. Still, this is a good sandwich with good parts -- it's just that the whole isn't greater than those parts. 

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La Sala's Deli -- The Full Loaf Supreme (boiled ham, capicola, salami, pepperoni, provolone, tomatoes and mustard, $14.99). When you walk into La Sala's Deli, it's clear that you are there for one reason: to eat. And they'll make sure you walk out full.

The Full Loaf is an entire loaf of Italian Bread studded with sesame seeds from the Roma Bakery (3351 NE Choteau Trafficway). The bread is what makes the Supreme a transcendent sandwich: a tiny hint of sweetness and just the right amount of give that makes you think about eating more even as you're still chewing the first bite.  

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Everything about this sandwich is oversized. There are two layers of cheese and a dense center of meat, all of which keeps trying to escape out the center cut. Although the sandwich is one note, that note changes depending on which part you're attempting to tackle. Accordingly, you'll get a taste of boiled ham in one bite and then salami or capicola in the next.

That's a lot of sandwich is my predominant thought. It feels like something you want to eat after working hard. 

It's hard to compete with a sandwich as large as my forearm, but each sub has its rightful place in Kansas City. Bella Napoli is for introducing someone to the idea of an Italian sandwich -- it will satisfy your craving without destroying your productivity. La Sala's is for when you need to eat.

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Yep, Carollos.

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Posted by Mike Walker on January 21, 2010 at 2:31 PM

There isn't a decent roll available in KC to make an acceptable "Italian" sandwich.

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Posted by Orphan of the Road on January 21, 2010 at 12:46 PM

I quite like the sandwiches at Carollo's in City Market

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Posted by Abe on January 21, 2010 at 12:32 PM

laSala's full loaf makes enough lunch for 4 people at leas than $4/pp, hard to beat that.

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Posted by meesha.v on January 21, 2010 at 12:13 PM
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