All’Antico Vinaio

When we heard a renowned shop that at least one food journal named as serving the best sandwiches in the world was coming to town, we couldn’t wait for it to open. It took eight months, then one more for us to get there.

All’Antico Vinaio means “At the Ancient Wine Merchant” and describes the location of the first shop that opened in Florence, Italy, in 1989 across from a wine bar. In Las Vegas, it’s located at the unfinished UnCommons mixed-use district in the southwest valley. It’s the brand’s third location in the U.S.; the other two are in Manhattan and Venice, California.

It occupies a surprisingly cramped storefront, with seven workers in constant motion behind the small counter, especially the two beefy people operating the meat slicers, one on each side of the counter — back and forth, back and forth, slicing and stacking cold cuts and stopping only to change meat.

And the word is out about All’Antico; customers were lined up all the way back to the door when we were there on a Monday afternoon. You can eat at a couple of two tops and a dozen or so stools against high tables at windows overlooking the street, but it’s pretty cramped; two tables are outside the windows on the sidewalk as well.

The sandwiches are made with freshly baked schiacciata (skia-CHA-tah), a chewy Tuscan flatbread. In the photo below, the sandwich maker is preparing our three-sandwich order from a half-loaf.

Between the bread are meat, cheese, and vegetables, all lined up neatly in the long display case.

The sliced meats include capicollo, two kinds of prosciutto, lardo (Italian fatback), pancetta (salt-cured pork belly), and sbriciolona (fennel-seed salami), with various cheeses like gorgonzola, mozzarella, stracciatella (mozzarella soaked in cream), and other soft cream cheeses (pecorino, nduja, truffle, pistachio), along with fresh and sun-dried tomatoes, spicy eggplant, and grilled vegetables.

Prices start at $12 for the Caprese (mozzarella, tomato, and fresh basil) and go up to $20 for the lardo-gorgonzola-truffle-honey combo. The signature sandwich is the Favoloso: sbriciolona, pecorino cream, artichoke cream, and spicy eggplant. Signs on the countertop advertise two or three daily specials.

We got the Caprese, Favoloso, and Paradiso with mortadella, stracciatella, pistachio cream, and pistachio ($18). The total bill with tip came to $51.

Pricey for three sandwiches, yes, but these are huge; each can easily feed two and the three we brought back to the office satisfied appetites for more than two days. Also, with the specialty bread, the authentic Italian ingredients, and the experience in the small shop, this is a true taste of the birthplace of the Renaissance.

We were pleased that All’Antico isn’t part of the Sundry food hall at Uncommons, which is directly across the street, so we didn’t have to contend with a hostess, QR codes, and ewallets. Instead, you get your food the old-fashioned way: by walking in, waiting in line, and telling the people behind the counter what you want face to face; they make it for you as you watch and wrap it up; you take it to the cashier, pay, and you’re back out on the street with a big bag of food.

To get there, from Durango Road just west of the 215 Beltway and directly across from Station’s Durango Hotel-Casino, turn onto Maule and take your first left. Drive to the end of Helen Toland Street, park in the P2 garage, and All’Antico is right across the street on the corner. There are a few street-parking spots if you can grab one.

We highly recommend All’Antico Vinaio. It’s unique not only in Las Vegas, but all over the world, except New York, L.A., and Florence itself, as well.