Syracuse Sandwich: Stella's Antipasto Sandwich

Who: Stella's What: Antipasto Sandwich
Where: Wolf Street, Syracuse Phone: 425-0353 Website: Stella's

Parking: Yes Accepts Credit Cards: Yes Take-Out: Yes Delivery: No

     After a long day of cleaning and doing some running around, Christine and I were hungry but couldn’t decide upon where to eat. All the usual spots were thrown out there but nothing sounded like we needed it. Spaghetti Warehouse and Quaker Steak & Lube were strong contenders but ultimately we ended up at Stella’s where we could get pretty much anything we wanted. Christine opted for breakfast while I perused the sandwich menu. I like to order original sandwiches when I’m out because everyone has the same five or six on their menu and those get tiring after a while. Stella’s had one I’d never heard of before: the antipasto sandwich. For those of you who don’t know what an antipasto is, it is an Italian chef salad served with ham, salami, and provolone cheese. This sandwich had those ingredients plus pepperoni, banana peppers, and ranch dressing on grilled Italian bread.

     The sandwiches don’t come with anything so instead of fries I ordered a cup of chicken pastoli soup on the side. The soup was alright and could have been better if the chicken wasn’t overcooked. When my sandwich arrived I knew I wouldn’t be able to finish it because it was loaded with the three meats. Thick slices of buttery toasted Italian bread held up well against the greasiness of the meat and the creaminess of the ranch dressing. The meats were warmed up on the grill and the ham in particular had some char on it to add some smoky flavor. The banana peppers brought some kick to a sandwich that was being dominated by greasy meat. The ranch contrasted the peppers and the spiciness in the meats to cool each bite down. By the halfway point of the second half of the sandwich, I felt full but really couldn’t eat any more of the meat. I picked the peppers out and ate those along with the bread.

Rating: Satisfying – I liked this sandwich until the grease took over