Tasty lunch to help the midweek slump

All'antico Vinaio, which translates as "to the ancient vintner" (vintner meaning a winemaker or wine merchant), is located on Via dei Neri and makes possibly the best sandwiches in Florence. At least, that is the opinion of the three thousand people who rated it five stars on trip advisor (and my own personal opinion). Each panino (yes, panino is the singular term for panini - anyone who calls a singular sandwich a panini is technically wrong) is served on focaccia bread. I assume the bread is made daily as I noticed one of the workers distributing loafs between the three shops during rush hour.

The ingredients all appear very fresh and is displayed for every customer to see in the cases pictured. The sight of the perfectly round, white balls of mozzarella were enough to make my mouth start to water in anticipation for my "La Summer" panino.

"La Summer" (which really should be titled "L'estate") consists of mozzarella, tomatoes, basil, and "prosciutto crudo toscano" (sliced Tuscan cured-ham).

With the first bite I knew that I had found my favourite panino. This sandwich was going to be pretty hard to beat as a first choice lunch. The bread was crunchy and held up quite well with the juicy, fresh tomatoes (unlike some breads, it did not fall apart as the tomatoes started to soak the sandwich). The mozzarella was soft and creamy, with a bit of moisture that fresh mozzarella often has. The delicious Tuscan ham was the perfect level of salty and underlying sweet qualities.

It's not hard to see (taste?) why All'antico Vinaio is so popular among tourists and locals. Once you taste a panino from one of the three locations (all on Via de Neri, actually all right by each other) and you will understand why this place has won over the hearts and stomachs of so many people. I would love to talk to the Mazzanti family someday and ask if they ever expected this to happen, if they ever dreamed that their little panini shop, opened in 1991, would grow into such a sensation. Regardless of their previous expectations, however, I'm sure they're pretty happy with the outcome considering the daily long lines of people waiting to taste their delightful sandwiches.