The panino at Il Bambino (hey, that rhymed!) is keeping sandwiches crave-worthy. In this multicultural queens neighborhood, you can find just about every ethnic cuisine in the world so there is no shortage of great food, and this little sandwich shop only adds to the vast array of killer food.
It’s hard to imagine that this tiny spot equipped with some panini presses could pump out such flavor packed, creative sandwiches on the reg, but it does. The menu, slightly overwhelmed with flavor, can make your decisions a little difficult. Everything you get will be good, but let’s see if we can offer a little help in the decision making process.
Let’s talk bread. (No, not money). It’s baked in-house daily so you know you are going to experience everything you want from a good ciabattina. Crunchy outside and a little squish on the inside. Just enough squish, in fact, to absorb all of those flavors they sandwich in between.
What goes inside of those ciabattina slices?! Oh man, Il Bambino has a “thing” with hand-made meats and cheeses.
They use prosciutto, smoked and unsmoked meats, and their salumi ranges from mild to strong, so you will find your perfect sandwich no matter what your preference. (There’s a joke in there somewhere). To go along with all of this salumi business, they have cheeses fresh and aged so you know these meats and cheeses are doing a proper tango together inside those sandwiches.
Some of the crowd pleaser (by crowd pleaser I mean ones that we here overly are obsessed with) sandwiches are the Italian meatloaf with onion jam, tomato pesto, Lawless’ spicy mayo and provolone. We also have a huge crush on the prosciutto with pickled peppers, olives, rosemary aioli and mozzarella.
You really can’t go wrong with anything. If you’re not a sandwich person (I’m not sure what kind of person that makes you), they also offer fresh salads and cheese plates. If you’re not a cheese person, then, I’m sorry, but we can’t help you.
Il Bambino also offers beer and wine, if case you’re an alcoholic and are worried about going out to eat without anything to drink (don’t worry, we get it). They have some really interesting wines by the bottle and even at reasonable prices. You can get a bottle anywhere from $22-35! That’s enough on its own to get us in there.
So, if you’re in Astoria and are craving a good sandwich we think Il Bambino is definitely worth the stop. If you live in the city and have no clue what queens is because you don’t venture past 14th street then don’t fret, because they are opening a location in the West Village soon! Now you can get your Il Bambino on in the city! Whew, now I can get one on my way to work and right when I get home.
Hi! I’m Davina and I have an unquenchable passion for all things food, drink and real estate! I love practical jokes, coffee and my two pups. Follow me on instagram!
