The Rocket and the Torpedo....

Today's Panino Special is The Torpedo - spicey Italian sausage, Michael's homemade peperonata sauce and aged provolone cheese. Rumor has it there are two pots of chili on the burners - a vegetarian and meat version, but they probably won't be done until this afternoon.

The Meatball Rocket has been on Carma's menu since the early days - a special that developed such a following it's place was made permanent. One day, reflecting on the grilled sausage, pepper & onion sandwich almost exclusively found as street food, Michael expressed a wish that we could do something like that at the Cafe.

The universe soon provided a solution in the form of Peperonata (which unbeknownst too him, he had been making for years). What tomatoes are to marinara, peppers are to peperonata. Slowly cooked for hours, the peppers become a sweet foil for the spicy sausages.

Both of these sandwiches are really "tie" friendly. A hollowed ciabatta stuffed with meat and sauce, they are not prone to dripping!

And while we're on the stuffed sandwich subject, I'd like to give props to DePasquale's in Highlandtown. If you've never been, put it on your list for in-town field trips. On Gough Street since 1914, this neighborhood Italian grocer has a rockin' sandwich bar!