What to Have for Lunch Today: Spicy Calabrese from Calabria Bros.

By Jonathan Kauffman Tue., Apr. 20 2010 at 7:30 AM

Categories: Eat This

It's-a spicy sand-a-wich! (Okay, that pop-culture reference probably dates us.)

Tues., April 20, 2010

Located in the part of San Francisco that reminds us this town wasn't always boffo for sustainably raised, fennel-marinated porchetta, Calabria Bros. ― Steve Maraccini and Mike Tufo, brothers only in the "bromance" sense ― specialize in sandwiches. Real sandwiches. Ham and Swiss. Coppa and provolone on sourdough. Prosciutto and roasted peppers ... well, this is San Francisco, after all.

For their house special hot Calabrese sandwich ($7.99), the bros layer Calabrese salami and hot coppa on a ciabatta, Dutch crunch, or sourdough roll, then amp up the spice with pepper Jack and a chile-flecked garlic spread, finishing it with a squeeze-bottle shot of vinegar. (There's a little heat to the sandwich, but on a scale of one to Thai, it's about a four.) Get your sandwich post-tech-boom style, with a can of Italian lemon soda and a bag of imported arborio rice for dinner, or just as San Franciscans have been doing since the 1970s ― with a can of Coke and a bag of chips.

Calabria Bros. 2249 17th St. (at Utah), 863-1213

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