These sandwiches are worth a trip to Amalfi

When you’re planning your meals on a visit to the Amalfi Coast, you’ll probably think of the oh-so-fresh seafood, special citrus, and handmade pastas. You might plan a visit to Da Paolino in Capri, the place that made Giada fall in love with lemon spaghetti—and devote years to perfecting her own recipe. But there’s one meal you absolutely can’t miss: the sandwiches at La Bottega dei Ferrari in the town of Amalfi.

Run by husband-and-wife team Gianpaolo and Luisa with help from their teenage daughter, Azzurra, this small shop makes some of the most delicious, creative panini we’ve ever tried. The unassuming little storefront on the bustling Piazza dei Dogi is just big enough to hold a deli counter where meats and cheeses await to be sliced to order and composed into surprising new combinations on pillowy, fresh-baked bread. Lining the entryway are shelves stocked with gourmet ingredients to take home (we spotted a few favorites from the Giadzy shop here!) and a great selection of local wines.  

Always a mortadella fan, Giada ordered two panini that feature the cured meat, which was expertly sliced by Gianpaolo. The Amarcord added smoked mozzarella and oil-cured zucchini slices, while the La Stangata paired the mortadella with a local cheese called provolone del monaco and a sweet-and-savory eggplant and pistachio jam. Both were pressed gently on a panini press to warm up the ingredients without squashing the sandwiches’ careful construction. Other sandwiches feature luscious fresh burrata, local sun-dried tomatoes, Tuscan lardo, and many more carefully selected ingredients. For dessert, Luisa whipped up a simple but luxurious bite with creamy fresh ricotta and sweet fig jam—a pairing that we’ve turned into a morning toast topper now that we’re home.

If you call ahead, you can place an order to be delivered to a private boat or vacation house in the area for the perfect picnic lunch while you tour the coast. Or, just stop in by traveling through the ancient arched passageways off the main Piazza Duomo and looking for the “Gourmet Sandwiches” awning. It might just be the best meal of your trip!

La Bottega dei Ferrari

Piazza dei Dogi, 24, Amalfi

+39 089 871249

http://www.amalfifinefoods.it/