From lobster rolls to grinders, 10 sammies worth driving for

The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread

10 statewide eateries slinging standout sandwiches and hand-helds for every taste

By Patty J

Italian Grinders from Lou Umberto’s

When the 4th Earl of Sandwich’s cook first put meat between two slices of bread in 1762 – to spare the aristocrat from getting up from his card game – history was made. Fast-forward through centuries of influences and innovation, and you’ll find Rhode Island eateries have taken liberties to advance the idea of the “modern sandwich” with a slew of hand-held options. From lobster rolls to grinders and everything in between, here’s a handful of top-shelf sandwich makers crafting some of the finest.

Lobster Roll

Beach-themed names dominate the Bay Street Deli menu (think Misquamicut Club and Chief Ninigret), where sandwiches are so good, one of my brothers proposed to his now-wife over them. But I would be remiss if I didn’t highlight the lobster rolls. Locals and seasonal visitors (including a few celebs) wait all winter for these bad boys – house-made rolls heaped with cold or hot lobster. Watch Hill, BayStreetDeliWH.com

Breakfast Sammie

Off the beaten path inside the Newport Shipyard grounds, Belle’s Cafe is a coastal gem slinging one of the most tempting breakfast sandwiches around. Regulars can’t get enough of their signature Shipyard Sandwich with eggs, cheese, and your choice of meat and bread, including a croissant option if you’re feeling Francais. Or you can brunch on an eggs bennie, lox sandwich, paninis, and other light fare. NewportShipyard.com

NY-Style Deli

You need two hands to eat even half of an East Ferry Deli sandwich! I say this from experience. This townie fave overlooking the bay and the Newport Bridge has a huge menu of speciality and build-your-own options. Along with the classic hot pastrami and Swiss, chicken salad, and roast beef you’d expect, there’s a number of tasty vegetarian options like hummus wraps and a garden burger. Jamestown, EastFerryDeli.com

Jamaican Patty

Experience a taste of Jamaica with JA Patty’s hand-made hand-helds. Fans go gaga over the flaky crust and all-natural filling choices – from meat and fish to veggie, plus an apple pie dessert version. Since launching as a food truck in 2018, they have branched out to a “truck stop” on Mineral Spring Avenue while still making the rounds at food festivals and catering events. Pawtucket, JAPatty.com

Cubano

Whether you sit indoors or on their patio, you’ll definitely want to order a frozen drink, some sweet plantains or fried yuca, and a Cubano. La Casona Restaurant’s spin on a popular street food includes pork, cheese, and mayo (instead of mustard) on lightly toasted bread. This Colombian restaurant gets high marks for friendly service and being a must-try spot among Rhode Island’s Latin cuisine scene. Central Falls, LaCasonaUS.com

Italian Grinder

Lou Umberto’s is an Italian kitchen and pizzeria in Cranston’s Little Italy (AKA Knightsville), but it feels like a deli on Arthur Avenue

in the Bronx. This cozy, Old World-inspired establishment is a neighborhood favorite and known to attract out-of-towners for their authentic Italian grinders loaded with meats, cheese, peppers, and more, topped with an oil and vinegar dressing on a super fresh roll. Cranston, LouUmbertosItalianKitchen.com

Empanada

Keep your eyes peeled for pop-ups this season from Matilda RI because, quite simply, these are some of the yummiest empanadas you’ll find. Customers are obsessed with the hot and crispy, Dominican-inspired savory (Beefy Mac, Cuban, and Tri Veg, to name a few) and sweet varieties from this family-owned business. Also watch for a Tilda Food Bus rolling onto the scene soon. MatildaRI.com

Bánh Mì

Ming’s Asian Street Food began as a food truck and recently expanded to a Sando Bar in Lorraine Mills. Among other things, they’ve become known for their bánh mì, a scrumptious Vietnamese sandwich on a warm baguette. Find the classic version with lemongrass pork, liver pate, pickled veg, spicy mayo, and cilantro, along with some fun twists like tofu and Chinese BBQ pork. Pawtucket, MingsRI.com

Vegan Sandwich

I met the owner of Sprout & Lentil, vegan chef Carmen Foy, a few years ago and can tell you that she and her team always cook up a wide variety of delicious plant-based takeout, including sandwiches and burgers. Popular ones include the Chickpea “Chickun” Salad, Philly Cheeze, and veggie burgers. Catch them at the Aquidneck Growers Market every Saturday morning this summer. Middletown, SproutAndLentil.com

Fried Chicken

Waterfront restaurant Square Peg (or “the Peg” to regulars) is perfect for a cold drink and comfort food with a group of friends, or even a solo stop while cycling the nearby East Bay Bike Path. Try a crispy buttermilk-fried chicken sandwich with coleslaw and a pickle, or the buffalo version with blue cheese. Fries and mozzarella sticks on the side are a must. Warren, SquarePegWarren.com

THE NORDIC CELEBRATES A FLOOR MANAGER’S TENURE & THE START OF THEIR SUMMER SEASON

“It's been an amazing 42-year journey with The Nordic,” says floor manager Michael S. Conley, who has worked at the Charlestown restaurant since 1980. Conley started out in the kitchen as a line cook before working his way up to floor management, which he’s enjoyed for the past 20 years. “While at the Nordic I earned a bachelor's degree in psychology and met my beautiful wife while she was dining there in 2002,” Conley shares. “I've learned that working as a team produces great results in managing every aspect of a restaurant, especially in customer satisfaction.” Conley describes a zen-like experience of dining at The Nordic, where guests can unwind and be treated to a vast selection of highquality seafood. “I'm a hands-on floor manager,” says Conley, whose first goal is ensuring each customer is treated like family. “My favorite part of the job is creating genuine relationships with the customers and sta members. I find the most joy helping customers feel comfortable and happy. We are truly blessed to have one of the best sta s in the world.”

Attracting throngs of locals and vacationers alike during the summer months, The Nordic has fans from near and far. “Customers fly and drive to us from all over the country,” says Conley. “Words can't describe the elation we feel from the love for our bu et.” Thankfully, The Nordic recently reopened for the season in April to celebrate another Ocean State summer with all-you-can-eat seafood, lakeside views, gourmet dessert bar, and much more!

TheNordic.com

178 Nordic Trail Charlestown

The Chef Next Door

La Vecina Taqueria’s Mariana Gonzalez-Trasvina dishes up the authentic Mexican tacos of her childhood

By Karen Greco

There’s just something so comforting about eating a good taco,” says Mariana Gonzalez-Trasvina. The executive chef of Bar Cino is also running the kitchen of La Vecina Taqueria, a new Mexican street food-inspired eatery she coconceived with Newport Restaurant Group.

“When restaurants were allowed to reopen [during the pandemic], Bar Cino could operate only at 50 percent capacity with the restrictions,” explains Gonzalez-Trasvina. She and her team brainstormed ways to get the restaurant to full capacity and bring everyone back to work. Taking over an empty retail space beside Bar Cino expanded their footprint enough that they returned to normal numbers. But when restrictions were lifted, they had a new space they needed to fill. “Bar Cino was not meant to double its capacity,” she says. So they decided to try a two-week pop-up.

“Our beverage director, Shawn Westhoven, was GM at the time, and he told me to cook what I loved,” she says. For Gonzalez-Trasvina, cooking from the heart meant cuisine from her native Mexico City. La Vecina (its translation means “the girl next door”) was born.

Gonzalez-Trasvina left Mexico City at eight, when her mother’s corporate job brought them to Puerto Rico. She discovered cooking while living on the island and decided to get her culinary degrees (two of them, one in pastry and one in culinary arts) from Johnson & Wales University. “I love pastry; that’s what put me in the kitchen,” she says. “But what makes me passionate are the cultures behind the foods, and that’s reflected more on the savory side.”

While in Providence, Gonzalez-Trasvina fell in love with southern New England and opted to remain local. She started cooking with Newport Restaurant Group as an intern, working her way through their various kitchens before becoming vested in the employee-owned company and taking the reins at Bar Cino. There, she was nominated for a Rising Star Award by the James Beard Foundation in 2020.

But the inspiration for La Vecina came from roots firmly planted in Mexico. “My best memories [of Mexico] are spent around the table, sharing stories about how a dish was made, or how my great-great-grandmother first made our masa recipe,” she says. “It helped me connect with my culture.”

Nostalgia for home fuels La Vecina’s menu. “I dug into my memories. What stood out for me whenever I went to Mexico City? What foods did I long for all year?”

She began with the masa for the tortilla. “There’s actually thousands of types of corn that are native to Mexico. There’s red, there’s purple, there’s yellow. You don’t see it up here because of the climate,” she says. By using blue corn masa instead of white, GonzalezTrasvina was able to conjure a more authentic eating experience. “Blue masa actually has a lot more depth because the grain is less processed. You taste that earthy flavor.”

Because this is a taqueria, six different tacos are on the menu, including the al pastor, which Gonzalez-Trasvina calls the taco of Mexico City. “It actually has its background from Middle Eastern immigrants,” she explains. “The al pastor looks very much like the shish kebab. Meat on a skewer, marinated and slow roasted,” she ticks off the similarities. “But the Mexican people used pork instead of lamb, because that’s the meat we had available. Then all the spices, the chili, the pineapple. It turned into this beautiful taco that is very representative of the city I was born in.

“It took me maybe five or six attempts to actually get the marinade right,” she adds with a laugh.

Following a late-April opening, GonzalezTrasvina remains astonished by the reception her restaurant concept received. “I was not expecting that it would be embraced as quickly as it was. You do get a little nervous making food that maybe people haven’t tried before,” she says. “But when you do something that’s close to your heart, you can taste the outcome.”

Chef Mariana Gonzalez-Trasvina