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| - i have been a fan of chris bianco, both professionally and personally since the late 80s when he first made his pizzas at euromarket, now AJ's on central and camelback. this is his outlet for sandwiches, though with the recent addition of his personalble brother marco, and hardworking robbie, it has expanded to evenings and other entrees as well. in october, the james beard award winning pizza will also be available in this outlet as well as downtown. but i go for the sandwiches, ranging from fritattas,to ham, turkey, procuisutto, meatball, lamb, jarmon. sausage, and more. the roasted red peppers, and tomatoes are to die for as they are assembled on freshly baked bread that you see being baked right before your eyes. the prices have recently gone up, probably to pay for the expansion. the italian ices served during the summer are the ideal desset. they have sodas available, made with cane sugar only. no corn syrup. a loaf of bread is only 3 bux. but the sandwiches can be pricey...up to 12 dollars for the daily market special. my roommate swears by the tuna, made with lemon juice and olives. this is not your grandmother's tuna...it is imported from portugal and is delicious. i have a friend, tony , who lives crosstown and will travel here just to satisfy his crave for this particular sandwich. lines can be lengthy, so it could take 15 minutes during lunch rush hour, but nothing like the waits downtown. there are outdoor tables, and each bag is garnished with a piece of candy for dessert. fans of susan pool will be disappointed she is no longer with the staff. and speaking of the staff, many of them have been working at pane bianco since it started, all are friendly and knowledgeable. just about everything in your sandwich was grown or cultivated in arizona, and freshness is apparent..whether its a sandwich or a melon salad. is this place for everyone? probably not. but if you have standards of criticism when it comes to food, you should be pleased with the effort made, and result on your taste buds.
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