Anthony's Paninoteca — Restaurant in New York

I’ve always believed in the magic of the muffuletta—a sandwich so unapologetically indulgent, it’s practically a religion in New Orleans. At Central Grocery, the birthplace of this olive-drenched masterpiece, it’s almost sacred. So imagine my surprise, here on Staten Island—a borough I know has its culinary treasures hidden among the strip malls and suburban sprawls—to find a muffuletta that challenges the original.

Anthony’s Paninoteca isn’t trying to be fancy. It’s not chasing trends or Instagram glory. It’s a small place with big smells—roasted meats, fresh bread, and that unmistakable tang of vinegar-soaked olives. You walk in, and it feels like you’ve stumbled into someone’s nonna’s pantry. The kind of place that knows exactly what it’s about and makes no apologies.

Then, the muffuletta arrives. It’s hefty, as it should be. The bread—house-made, golden, with just the right crust-to-chew ratio—isn’t trying to steal the show but knows its role as the backbone of the whole operation. The olive salad…oh man, the olive salad. It’s briny, garlicky, with just enough acidity to cut through the richness of the meats. Speaking of which: the mortadella, salami, ham, and provolone are layered like a symphony. This isn’t a chaotic pile of deli scraps—it’s precision, balance, an ode to everything a muffuletta should be.

And here’s the kicker: this muffuletta isn’t a copycat. It’s not a pale imitation of Central Grocery’s legendary creation. It’s its own thing—familiar yet distinct, like a great jazz cover of a classic tune. It respects tradition but knows how to riff.

Anthony’s Paninoteca has pulled off something I didn’t think was possible: a muffuletta that holds its own outside of Louisiana. It’s a reason to take the ferry, to make the drive, to rediscover Staten Island’s culinary underbelly. Because if you’re chasing flavor, authenticity, and just a bit of audacity, this little shop is where you need to be.

Would I come back? Hell yes. And I’d bring a bottle of wine to share with Anthony. Sandwiches like this...

A nice, local sandwich shop. It is within walking distance to another sandwich shop, but the products between the two are so different that I wouldn't be worried about much overlap. The products in this paninoteca are distinctly Italian in focus. I was expecting only paninis, but they sell sandwiches in general, and dessert. The sandwiches are quite large and so the price is not that ridiculous. It's also a relatively new addition to the neighborhood. The location is conveniently by the SIM bus and SIR line, for those who can't be bothered to drive because of the parking issues sometimes by Amboy. It's largely a takeout operation, with only a small table for outdoor seating, and a standing area if you want to rest your elbows. The inner decor is very monochrome and clean, with marble checker floors, white walls, and black ceilings. Blue lights break up the monotony, along with silvery chandeliers, giving a very crisp feel. There are foods on display next to the cashier, and you can see the sandwiches being made in the kitchen and behind the counter. The menu is quite simple, but diverse enough. There are cold and hot sandwiches, salads, sides, and drinks. Sides are not like typical fries and include arancini. I got the Anthony's Hot Sandwich, which has the porchetta and a stock for dipping. I ordered upfront instead of online, so I had to wait a bit for the bread to toast and all, but it wasn't that bad a wait. Service is nice and quick and the staff are friendly, open to talk. The sandwich was definitely not dry, absolutely dripping with excess stock and juice from the peppers and meat, which I think was soaked after being cooked. The pickled vegetables were the strongest flavor in the bite, with the provolone, garlic bread, and porchetta being more muted and just melting into one savory flavor. The stock provided for dipping is extremely rich and feels very luscious in the mouth. I was absolutely stuffed after eating that. Overall it was a good...

This place was so clean nice to eat and relax the owners are great very nice this place is spotless so clean sandwich shop the sandwiches are amazing so delicious tasty you taste the refreshness of the chicken the Johnny muscles was so off the hook I'm going to make this my go too sandwich hero shop the people are sweet and nice very friendly this is a place that makes a good hero the owner gave me a potato crochet it was so delicious I wanted to buy a ton of them the bread soft not tuff great tasting fresh I can't believe the flavor if you want to go to a great Staten Island sandwich hero shop this place will not disappoint at all come from far it won't be a waste of a trip I will not lie about this place I'm going to try all the sandwiches they have that's how much I love there hero's and there not small you get your moneys worth with this place to me price means nothing when it comes to a a great sandwich shop that makes great hero's it's not a big place but you can sit by the window and enjoy your sandwich please go hear and buy hero eat there go take it home worth going too it won't disappoint taste buds will go crazy and there filling I'm a big eater and this is my place for now on it's your choice it's amazing food...