The Brooklyn Paper is cheesy, meaty, juicy and ultimately perfectly balanced. And the newspaper isn’t bad, either.
Papa Pasquale’s Ravioli Co. on 15th Avenue in Bensonhurst has created a torpedo-shaped doppelganger of this newspaper — a behemoth submarine sandwich piled high with prosciutto, smoked mozzarella, sun-dried tomatoes and marinated artichokes.
It’s heck of a deal at $8.
“Like Brooklyn, it’s made up of only the best,” said owner Pasquale Lorina.
We knew if anyone could represent us in tasty sandwich form, it would be this 80-year-old neighborhood standby.
Papa Pasquale’s may have gotten more press for its eponymous line of ravioli — named best in the city by Zagat — but locals know the mom-and-pop shop is a real contender in the overstuffed hero arena, boasting an extensive menu of heroes named after Brooklyn neighborhoods.
“The sandwiches really add to the nostalgic, old time Brooklyn feel of the store,” said Lorina. “It’s especially nice when people who’ve moved away get to see their old neighborhood on the board.”
And whether you hail from Park Slope or Borough Park, Greenpoint or Gravesend, you can be sure your namesake sub will come stuffed to the gills with a variety of quality cheeses, veggies and cold cuts.
Anything that isn’t imported from Italy is made in-house, like the roast beef that goes, along with fresh mozzarella and tomatoes, into the “15th Avenue Special,” (unsurprisingly, a best seller around these parts, next to, of course, The Brooklyn Paper sandwich). The meat is obtained from an 80-year-old butcher shop down the block.
And then there’s the certified kosher pastrami — from the same provider as Katz’s and the Second Avenue Deli, Lorina said.
That pastrami is the star player in the in-your-face “Canarsie,” layered with melted American cheese, mustard, and pickles.
Seafarers from Red Hook are represented with Italian tuna topped with pure olive oil, tomatoes and onions, Dyker Heights is an old-school eggplant parmigiana, and Coney Islanders get paid a vaguely trashy (yet highly enjoyable) tribute, with a gut-busting combo of bologna, ham, salami, American cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and mayo.
Still, nothing beats a copy of The Brooklyn Paper with a mouthful of The Brooklyn Paper.
Papa Pasquale Ravioli Co. [7817 15th Ave. between 78th and 79th Streets in Bensonhurst, (718) 232-1798]. For info, visit www.papapasqualeravioli.com.
