Paninis Grill - Overstuffed Sandwiches

So as I mentioned in my review of Primanti Brothers I wanted to get to Panini's to do a direct comparison of the two Overstuffed Sandwiches. So after a hike at Penitentiary Glen this weekend, we headed over to the Panini's in Willoughby. Panini's has clearly followed the model set by Primanti Brothers, the overstuffed sandwiches with fries and coleslaw inside, the sports bar like feel and the overall menu are very similar. And I do have to note here one of my real problems with Panini's; in trying to find a name similar to Primanti, they came up with an Italian sounding name that starts with a P, good enough, except for the fact that there are NO PANINI SANDWICHES ON THE MENU. For those who do not know, a Panini is an Italian sandwich which is cooked on a panini press that compresses and cooks the sandwich, usually leaving very distinctive grill lines in the bread. When done right they are delicious and my panini press is a favorite item in my kitchen. Unfortunately, instead of actually offering these gems, Panini's decided to use the name only and offer a copy of the Primanti's sandwich. I understand that we as Americans believe in taking every other food culture and bastardizing it to suit American tastes, but at least come somewhat close to what you are copying, don't just redefine the meaning of a term. Rant over for now. For those who haven't been to a Panini's Grill, it is a restaurant/ sports bar set up with pretty good food and a pretty good decor. I haven't been to the Willoughby location since the expansion and I have to say they did a really good job. They have added an outdoor Tiki bar out back and to link it to the original dining room, they have also added a new bar/seating area with high ceilings and lots of glass; very nice with an island theme and a good open feeling. The menu is striking similar to that offered by Primanti's, although they have fewer options in the overstuffed sandwhiches, they do offer the option of the regular sandwich or the regular sandwich for $5.99 or the jumbo for $7.99. Figuring the price at Primanti's was closer to the regular, I went with a regular Tuna overstuffed. When the sandwich came it had the now familiar overstuffed stack: two slices of thick Italian bread, tuna salad, french fries, tomato and cheese. Lets go through the sandwich layer by layer. The bread was a very good Italian, I'm guessing from Orlando and I think it was better than the Primanti bread, although not by that much. The main difference was that the Panini's bread was a bit denser, although it still ended up falling apart, it at least gave some resistance. The tuna salad was a bit too moist for my taste, it ended up being a bit soupy, a real liability in a sandwich like this where it kept falling out the sides. The fries were good, hand cut and fried to a nice crisp, compared to Primanti, the fries at Panini's were a bit crisper, but the Primanti fries had a bit more potato flavor. The coleslaw was a major disappointment at Panini's, there was none of the sweet and sour notes that made the Primanti slaw so good, instead it was a rather bland although crisp heap of cabbage. The tomato slice was there and I am not even sure if there was a slice of provolone on the sandwich or not. The portion sizes were good, although I think that Primanti's was more generous with the fries and slaw. My overall impression was that the Primanti Brothers sandwich was far superior, with more distinct and pronounced flavors; although the crisp fries and the bread at Panini's were very good, they were not enough to overcome the better tuna and the far superior slaw that Primanti offers. My recommendation is that while Panini offers a pretty good sandwich, and a very good value at the price, Primanti Brothers offers a much more flavorful and filling offering, of course you have to head down to Pittsburgh to get it so there is that downside. Of course your taste may differ and I just compared the tuna sandwiches, the quality of the meats used could make a huge difference in the other sandwiches, so give them a try and let me know what you think. My choice is that Primanti is the clear winner with Panini's a clear imitation.

Primanti Brothers - Pittsburgh's One Worthy Contribution

As a true Browns fan I hate to give any credit to Pittsburgh, but I flew out of the Pittsburgh airport for my recent trip to South Florida and got another couple of chances to stop at Primanti Brothers for some excellent grub. I made two stops (lunch leaving and coming home) at the Primanti Brothers restaurant in Moon, PA, right next to the airport and I have to admit that their food is good. For those who are unfamiliar with Primanti Brothers, if you have been to a Pannini's location in the Cleveland area you will get an idea since Pannini's basically copied what Primanti has been doing for a very long time. Based around their sandwiches with coleslaw and french fries in the sandwich, Primanti offers good food at affordable prices in a sports bar setting. For my first lunch I had a Tuna Sandwich. The tuna is loaded onto thick cut Italian bread and then topped with a heap of coleslaw, french fries, tomato slices and provolone cheese. The tuna was great, simply prepared with a little mayo. The coleslaw, which has a vinegar dressing, was a great contrast with a crispness and tartness yet just enough sweetness to make it sing. The fries are fresh cut and come out hot and overflowing from the sandwich. As a whole this was an exceptional sandwich, big, flavorful and more than filling. About the only complaint I had was that the bread, although thick cut, could not stand up to all the fillings, making it a bit hard to eat by hand. At $6.29 it is a very good deal. Primanti offers the option to get a slice of pizza for $1.25 with any sandwich and I decided to give it a try and I was very happy I did. The slice was nicely sized and came out piping hot and fresh. This was a very traditional pizza, but it was almost perfectly executed. The crust was thin but crisp, with enough stiffness to be picked up with no sagging; the bottom was dusted with corn meal to keep it from burning in the pizza oven and adds a nice little extra note. The sauce was nice, with good tomato flavor and thinly spread so the cheese could adhere to the crust properly. The cheese was good, providing a nice even coat without being overly thick and had a nice little cheesey twang to it. This slice reminds me of why I really like pizza, it is a balancing act of all of the elements to make something flavorful and satisfying. Lunch on my way home was the Colossal Fish and Cheese sandwich. For $6.99 you get an really big piece of fish, nicely fried and then topped with the same toppings as above. The fish was very good, flavorful and fresh and worked even better with the toppings then the tuna. The amount of food on this sandwich was staggering and I was more then filled by the time I was done. Other then being located in the Pittsburgh area and having all sorts of Pittsburgh sports paraphenalia, Primanti Brothers is a real winner and well worth your time if you are any where nearby. You can check on the various locations at http://www.primantibrothers.com/. I will try to get to one of the Pannini's to give you a direct comparison soon.