ALIDORO — Restaurant in New York

Lapin and I came here for lunch on a Tuesday around 1pm. The Italian shop was crowded and it took a bit maneuvering to get to the back where you place your order. We assume since it is so busy, the food must be good. I guess, one shouldn’t believe in hype without first trying it. The sandwich shop has roughly 40 different sandwiches and has 3 family style wooden tables with stools lining the walls. Lapin ordered the Romeo (smoked chicken breast, hot peppers, m. bel paese, arugula, $11.50) and I ordered the Alyssa (smoked chicken breast, fresh mozzarella, arugula, dressing, $12 + $1 for Stirato bread). When we went to order, the guy asked us which type of bread we wanted. I got the stirato bread and Lapin got the white bread. Apparently, there is an extra charge depending on which bread you choose. There was no pricing displayed and we only knew after we were handed the bill. The Alyssa was flavorful but it was okay. The Romeo tasted better to be but it was a bit dry. The sandwiches are long depending which bread you choose and it might be a bit chewy (expect some goat chewing action if you like chewy breads like I do). Lapin ordered the La Nostra Gazzosa Sparkling Orange Beverage ($2.50 each) and I ordered the Sparkling Lemon one. The orange one tasted like Sunkist and the lemon one tasted like Sprite. We also got two bags of North Fork of Long Island Potato Chips ($2 each), which were okay. I tend to like my chips more salty. Our lunch came out to little under $40(didn’t factor in tips as we left cash) for a takeout lunch. The taste wasn’t there or perhaps the sandwiches we ordered weren’t the best but this place is too pricey...

A well-lit and homey sandwich joint with unique Italian cuisine influences. It's a pricier sandwich on account of the significant size and the ingredients. I had come twice to Alidoro and I am glad I got a second try at the place. The first time I came, I waited about 15 to 20 minutes for my cold Alidoro sandwich. On the site, they say you can also order it hot (but you better ask for that yourself because the server might not ask you). I have never found a place that gives me enough prosciutto, and Alidoro did not change that. The sandwich was good though, and the peppers are surprisingly spicy, packing a good kick. Their bread is also very nice, almost as if fresh, with a crisp exterior and soft inside. The second time I only waited about 10 minutes for my hot Fratelli d'Italia. After about twenty minutes, the sandwich was still warm when I opened it to eat. The bread was excellent once again, and I was happy with the amount of porchetta and mozzarella. The cheese was also still pleasantly stretchy. There was an interesting bitterness from the slightly burnt parts of the porchetta and the pesto spread, which was wonderfully contrasting with the other flavors. All in all, it wasn't a very heavy sandwich at all,...

Melampo was my go to for sandwiches when I was living in SOHO. When it became Alidoro I'd pop in every time I was in the neighborhood because the sandwiches were still excellent. Imagine my surprise and delight when I found out there was another location in Midtown, a few blocks away from my new office.

NOT THAT SAME. It's like they took everything they new about making a great sandwich and then promptly forgot it. I tried the Alidoro, a relatively new addition to the menu, or at least the menu I was familiar with. It was so loaded with hot peppers and "hot spread" that it was simply inedible, literally. I ate about half and threw the rest of my 16 dollar sandwich in the trash. There was so much of this stuff that the bread had become soggy during the few block walk back to my office. The peppers were like some kind of invading army, the prosciutto just registered as something chewy, and forget about trying to taste the mushroom paste or fennel.

I'm willing to give them a second chance and go back and get the Matthew, a classic. But if that sandwich is any indication of the current quality, well, lets just say I'm doing my best to manage...