FIRST LOOK – Faicco’s Italian Heros
Let’s take a look at the sandwich shop that everyone is talking about.
I guess you can’t technically call this a “First Look.” A lot has already been written about this new sandwich spot. But we think it deserves a little more ink.
Yes, I’m sure you know I’m talking about Faicco’s Italian Heros & Grill (3590 Webber St., (941) 960-1395). If you don’t know, either you haven’t had your ear to Sarasota’s culinary ground, or you’ve been busy with a non-food-related agenda. Whichever it is, we are here to bring you up to speed.
Something BIG is happening in that little hot dog stand at the corner of Webber and Beneva. In this situation, when I say big, it means a couple of different things.
First, there is a line. There is a line seemingly all the time. We have a little bit of history with this kind of thing in Sarasota. (We wrote a piece about that WAY back in December 2015. READ THAT HERE).
The line is even more impressive, considering they’re doing this without any real promotion. I mean, they don’t have a website or even a Facebook page. In today’s hyper-connected, social media-heavy restaurant world, that is almost unheard of!
Second, the sandwiches that are coming out of that little building could serve two people on any day and three some days. Having a hard time visualizing point number two? I’ll be more than happy to give you some help…
That my soon-to-be hungry friends is the Italian Hero. Here’s what comes on this beast of a sandwich – prosciutto, ham cappy, sweet soppressata, mozzarella, lettuce, tomato, roasted peppers, olive oil, and of course, vinegar. All of this adds up to a sandwich that weighs in at over two pounds! No, that is not a typo!
The family that runs this soon-to-be locally famous sandwich shop has been dishing out the same great eats for 120 years on Bleecker Street in NYC’s Greenwich Village neighborhood. 120 years is a long time in the lifespan of any business, let alone one that serves food. That means they’ve got the sandwich-making thing down cold!
The Sarasota version of Faicco’s is basic. The process to get that giant sandwich (or any of their other delicious Italian specialties) is simple.
1 – Stand in line (Don’t be intimated, it moves quickly. These people have it together).
2 – Place your order at the register and pay.
3 – They’ll give you a number if you’re staying to eat. Then just find an outdoor table (If you have a to go order, they’ll call your name, and you can grab & go).
4- A very pleasant person will bring your order to your table.
5 – You look at the basket in front of you and proclaim, “How am I going to eat all that?!”
6 – Enjoy!
7 – Nap may be required! 😊
If you order the Muffuletta, here’s what you’ll get. One of my dining companions for this outing proclaimed it to be the best Muffuletta he has eaten outside of New Orleans! That is pretty high praise.
They have a good size menu to choose from. HERE’S A LINK. I’m really intrigued by the Prosciutto Bread (Freshly baked bread with chopped prosciutto, salami, coppa, and cheese).
I’m guessing that my next order will probably be one of the Homemade Porchetta Sandwiches. That will be way too hard to take a pass on.
You can finish off your massive lunch/dinner with a scoop of delicious Italian Ice. No Italian Ice for me that day. But it sure did look enticing. 🍨
BOTTOM LINE: Faicco’s Italian Heros is serving up some super delicious NY-style Italian sandwiches at their new Webber Street location. They’re really filling and really delicious. It is a very, very casual and very, very comfortable experience. Keep in mind that your sandwich order will be enough for lunch the next day (or dinner that night). It’s almost like a 2-for-1 special! Better yet, bring a friend a split!
📝 Our friend Lauren Jackson at Sarasota Magazine has also written a piece on her experience at Faicco’s. You can READ THAT HERE).
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