Toronto diners have a new sandwich option on Queen West: Mico Sandwiches, where the bread takes its inspiration from a pan-baked pizza style rather than traditional sandwich focaccia.
According to Streets Of Toronto, owner Domenico De Leo developed the shop’s focaccia using pizza al padellino, a deep-dish style from Torino, Italy, as his starting point. Customers can choose among three versions of the bread before selecting their sandwich fillings.
The recipe combines flour imported from Italy with spelt and rice flours. A 72-hour fermentation produces bread with a crisp underside and a softer top, the publication reported.
De Leo spent about a year developing the recipe, testing different flours, fermentation periods and hydration levels. His aim was to offer something that recalled Italian focaccia without duplicating the sandwiches already available elsewhere.
“I didn’t want to copy and paste what everybody does,” De Leo told Streets Of Toronto.
The three bread choices share the same flour mixture, preparation method and shape, but have different toppings. Alongside the Classica, the shop offers La Baresina, topped with black olives and tomatoes, and Calabrese, which comes with potatoes and onions.
De Leo told the publication the variations are intended to reflect different regional approaches to focaccia in Italy.
The sandwich menu includes fresh ingredients and creams made in-house. The shop’s namesake Mico sandwich combines tartufo cream, goat cheese, marinated ham, honey and lettuce. Chinotto, an Italian soft drink, is also available.
A smaller serving is planned for customers who do not want a full sandwich. De Leo said the shop intends to introduce a half-size option for children and people with smaller appetites, noting that the current sandwiches are often shared or kept for more than one meal.
The Queen West business follows an earlier restaurant venture for the family. De Leo and his family moved to Canada in 2013 and opened Da Grazia Ristorante in Alliston.
He had wanted to open a sandwich shop for years and travelled extensively, particularly in northern Italy, while looking for a distinctive approach to the menu.
