Joe Bastianich Reveals Expansion For Sandwich Hit All'Antico Vinaio - Exclusive

Imagine this: You're sitting next to the Arno River in Florence, Italy watching the sunset with a panini in one hand and a glass of white wine in the other. Although you may not be able to capture a Florence sunset in the United States, you can get an authentic Italian panini thanks to All'Antico Vinaio. Joe Bastianich, famous for being a MasterChef judge, made that dream a reality when he helped bring the famous sandwich to the states.

According to Destination Florence, All'Antico Vinaio was first opened in 1989 in Florence by the Mazzanti family, before the sandwich shop expanded to Milan and Rome. Following the shop's success in Italy, All'Antico Vinaio was brought to New York City for a month and Los Angeles for two weeks as a pop-up shop in 2019 (via The Florentine). The New York pop-up was so popular it sold out every day during its 30-day run (per All'Antico Vinaio).

You may be asking, what does this have to do with Joe Bastianich? Well, the food mogul hosted the pop-up shops in his Manhattan restaurant, Otto, and at West Hollywood's Chi Spacca, which he co-owns. After making one of those pop-up shops permanent, he's now hoping to expand in the U.S.

In 2021, All'Antico Vinaio owner, Tommaso Mazzanti, and restaurateur Joe Bastianich decided to make the Italian sandwich shop a permanent fixture for Americans with a location in New York City near Times Square (via The Florentine). The shop offers Schiacciata (a focaccia-like bread), topped with Tuscan Salami, an assortment of cheeses, vegetables, and more. In an exclusive interview via email, Bastianich told Tasting Table that All'Antico Vinaio's expansion isn't stopping anytime soon.

Bastianich says plans to expand All'Antico Vinaio include four more U.S. locations and one in Canada. He said via email, "Antico Vinaio has been a smash hit. In the coming months, we will open two locations in New York City. Also, we plan to open in Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Montreal." He added that besides the sandwiches tasting amazing, he's overjoyed to, "bring a piece of authentic Italy to America."

New York City's locations will be on Sullivan Street and in NoMad (short for the neighborhood north of Madison Square Park), according to Bastianich. In Los Angeles, All'Antico Vinaio is coming to Koreatown, although the exact location has not been determined. He says the Montreal location is "still in the works," as there are no permanent All'Antico Vinaio locations in Canada yet. However, Las Vegas residents won't have to wait long, as that location is set to open in 2023, Bastianich says. Panini lovers everywhere are surely rejoicing!

"MasterChef: Back To Win" airs Wednesdays at 8pm ET/PT on FOX.