In my quest for finding LA’s “best” Panini, memories of melted cheese, country ham, and juicy tomatoes squashed inside freshly baked ciabatta bread, fill my mind from my gastronomical visits to Italy. There were better memories still, of my favorite all-night Italian cafe bar, set in the heart of Soho in London. Many a night I’d spent at 5 o’clock in the morning, my legs all danced-out from clubbing, and me sitting at the bar, drinking a cappuccino so thick and frothy, one could turn it upside down as if testing for a meringue’s doneness.

Their “toasties,” as we Brits like to call them, were made with thick slices of juicy best Yorkshire ham and heavenly melted, sharp English cheddar cheese. And all served with an efficient glow by genuine Italian waiting staff. If this wasn’t Italy, it was a close second.

Now that I am in LA, I find myself reminiscing the old days and craving something simple: a Panini. There are dozens of food establishments taking on the fine art of the Panini and fusing it, LA style, for the local palate. With the temperature in the 100’s, causing my English metabolism bouts of early morning quesiness, I figured that a hot melted sandwich would get a bit old after week or two of punishing heat.

So I decided to only dine at food establishments with “Panini” in their title.  So here’s the first, and arguably the best, if Blog comments are to be believed: “Panini Grill & Deli.” Their website has them listed as “Panini Restaurant,” but what’s in a name. PG&D are known for their chicken and I was drawn to “Number 2″ on their menu, the expletive, “Chicken Explosiva” with “Very Spicy” in parenthesis. I was not given a choice of bread but the menu does state that customers can choose from “White, Wheat, Ciabatta Bread or French Baguette.” My Chicken Explosiva came in a half faux-French baguette, sans parallel lines (more of that in a minute) with crisp-on-the-outside, fluffy potato on-the-inside French fries with the skin on. They were a winner but I was here for Panini. Chicken Explosiva is chicken breast marinated in a spicy chipotle sauce, with sauteed mushrooms, onions, Roma tomato, avocado, and Provolone cheese.

The sandwich was indeed spicy but I found the chicken to be lifeless in the flavor department and what is wrong with smothering it with gorgeous cheese, people? No, it just wasn’t cheesy enough for me and very little about it defined an authentic Panini sandwich. Okay, okay, this is LA you say, but still, I must move on. But that’s not to say the rest of the menu wasn’t up to par. The two specials of the day looked intriguing:  ”Chicken summer salad with romaine and Boston lettuce, grapes, apples, red onion, tossed with our (sic) famous lemon dressing,” and “Rigatoni pasta with putanesca sauce and fresh Ahi tuna with black olives, capers, and fresh tomato and garlic.” There’s also a substantial breakfast menu and let us not forget, 18 Panini to choose from, plus vegetarian options.

The “Panini Restaurant” is a family owned Italian restaurant and has been in operation since 1999. Their humble beginnings were with feeding their local community with the little known Italian-style Panini. Once they expanded their kitchen to fill half of the restaurant, the menu grew and customers could choose from grilled chicken breast, tuna, prosciutto, salami and ham, plus piled high salads. Their Panini, they say, are compressed with a “device-like a waffle iron,” but I saw none of the burnt black parallel lines which make the Panini authentic. The restaurant has seating inside and out and the decor has lemon colored table cloths and mustard colored walls.

The real deal: Panino(i) is a sandwich made from a small loaf of bread, typically ciabatta. Cut horizontally, the ciabatta is filled with salami, ham, meat, cheese, and anything else one can imagine, then served hot. The Panino is oiled on the outside then grilled in a press, which is where it gets those black parallel lines. In Italy and in London, I may have been spoiled for choice but I’m determined to hunt down the real deal in Los Angeles. This may take some time.

PANINI RESTAURANT
5354 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323) 935-0237‎

photo by wEnDaLicious

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