The Review
In 1896 the Molinari family opened a delicatessen on Columbus Avenue in the heart of San Francisco's Italian-American North Beach neighborhood. They are still there. The house-made salami that goes into their sandwiches is still cured in the back. The cases up front still hold prosciutto, mortadella, capicola, and imported provolone in quantities that require restraint to walk past.
The sandwich is not on a menu. You tell the counterman — who has probably made ten thousand of them — what you want. The default is Italian sub: a Liguria bakery roll split and layered with a rotating selection of cured meats, provolone, roasted peppers, olive oil, and a vinegar-dressed salad of greens. The whole thing is pressed together, not to compress but to integrate. You eat it there, standing, or on the sidewalk outside.
This is the sandwich that countless Italian-American delis across the country are trying to replicate. At Molinari you eat the original.
What to Order
Let the counterman build it. Say 'the usual Italian' and see what happens. Ask about the house-made salami — it's worth specifying.
Tips
Cash only. Lines form during lunch and move fast. The focaccia-based variant with olive tapenade is not on the menu but is sometimes available if you ask. Closes early.
Our Rating
★★★★★
Price Range
$$