Anthony's Paninoteca

Anthony Valois, a Brooklyn-born chef, ran Corner House BBQ on Staten Island until it closed at the end of 2021, then opened this small Italian sandwich shop on Amboy Road in 2022, a block from the Great Kills train. The New York Times put his roast beef sandwich, Do It For Johnny, on its list of 57 sandwiches that define New York City, and in 2025 he announced a Manhattan counter under the name Paninoteca by Anthony.

Do It For Johnny is the order: thin-sliced roast beef, melted cheese and a very dark gravy for dipping, an Italian cousin of the French dip. After that, the pitmaster shows — porchetta and a daily pastrami special — alongside the KiKi, chicken francese with mozzarella, a muffuletta and a simple prosciutto panino. Old-school Italian sandwich-shop staples like potato and egg turn up too. Great Kills Harbor is a short drive away if you want to eat by the water.