Bobby Flay Says This Is the Best Sandwich in Italy: "It's Perfect"

Italy may be best known for pasta and pizza, but there’s a specific food beyond these categories that Bobby Flay wants you to take note of.

On a recent trip to Rome, the celebrity chef revisited one of his favorite spots for lunch and ordered a sandwich that he considers to be “perfect.”

“We are at La Vita è Un Mozzico,” Flay says, naming the Italian sandwich location in a new Instagram video. “Great sandwiches, lots of cured meats and stuff like that.” He waits outside for his sandwich among other tourists and locals before entering the small shop. This is his order.

“I always get the porchetta sandwich, which is roasted pork, crispy skin,” he describes. The sandwich also features stracciatella cheese and a pesto spread. “They serve it on this pizza bianca, which is like white pizza bread.”

Flay then brought us into the shop. Fresh cheeses, hanging meats and pictures of celebs (including Bobby himself) were displayed in the mini store. The sandwiches are made fresh right in front of whoever’s ordering, meaning the meat is shaved, the cheese is sliced and the panini is pressed for you to witness. With simple ingredients inside the flat bread, the result is a fresh, savory and mouthwatering portable lunch that’s easy to roam around Rome with.

“Delicious. Three ingredients, and the pizza bianca wraps the whole thing up,” Flay raves. “This is like the perfect Italian sandwich. Perfect. Run, don’t walk.” Fellow Food Network star Katie Lee Biegel also gives these sandwiches a thumbs-up, writing in the comments of the video that she “loves this place.”

If you’re planning a trip to Italy any time soon, be sure to head over to La Vita è Un Mozzico and try Flay’s favorite sandwich. Simple choices while traveling are ideal, and this lunch or dinner is great for on-the-go Rome days. Walking after a meal can help with digestion, which is much needed after the carb-heavy meals you’ll probably (and rightfully) enjoy in Italy. When you return, try our editors’ favorite dinner recipes that help them get back into a nutritious routine, like Instant-Pot Mujadara or shakshuka.

But if you’re not looking to travel, the sandwich is easy to re-create at home with pork, stracciatella and pesto spread on pizza bianca, or focaccia as a more accessible option.