Charlotte Day Wilson: R&B star, JUNO and Grammy nominee, Mustafa and Daniel Caesar collaborator, sandwich connoisseur. Wilson opened her own sandwich shop Tutto Panino summer in Toronto and we finally made our way down to the end of Sorauren Avenue to try it out.
Tutto Panino, which Google tells me translates to “everything sandwich” in Italian, is located in a nice residential corner, meaning it occupies a fairly small footprint. There is a small patio with a few tables that would be absolutely lovely in the summer, but at this time of year my wife and I stayed inside to eat at the standing room only counter.
Customers order at the counter, which was manned by four sandwich makers when we were there. We arrived at what appeared to be an off-peak time of 3pm, and although we didn't have to queue, it was still quite noisy.
There were eight sandwiches to choose from – six with meat, one vegetarian and one vegan. I bought the vegetable version of the Zucca for $16, which was mostly pumpkin and arugula. They were delicious, but the standout components were the accompaniments: sweet and spicy roasted red peppers and, in particular, crispy shallots. Emphasis on crispiness: These shallots were almost like bacon bits and retained their full crispness despite being connected to the sandwich via blue cheese aioli. Bonus points for the little containers of chili oil that are readily available on the counter.
This is what it looked like. The roll is much larger than it appears in the photo! I tried to take photos discreetly without making it clear that I was a member of the press!
My wife got the special, which was a little pricey at $22, but included a generous portion of what she said was the best salami she had ever tasted. You can see it below, and the most amazing thing about it is that what you're seeing isn't an avocado; rather, it's a basil aioli topping blood orange slices. Kinglet! On a salami sandwich! Along with Taleggio cheese and radicchio, it was a winner.
For dessert we had two cannolis: one chocolate chip and one chocolate orange. They were both great, but the last one definitely stood out. The chocolate orange flavor can sometimes be weird and artificial, but it was fresh and tangy while certainly offering the richness you'd expect from a cannoli.
With a couple of Cokes, taxes and tip, the entire bill came to $63.68—a little pricey for a weekday lunch for two, but it helps a little if you're a music journalist and can claim it as a tax expense because you're doing “research.” We were completely full from the food, but not too full. It was excellent and we will definitely return somewhere the next time we want to dine in Parkdale.
