If you have not visited Bottino Take Out, an add-on to the well known Bottino restaurant in Chelsea, then you are missing out! Not only does it have phenomenal sandwiches (some would say the best in the city) but also other tasty sides and cheap prices that make this spot a must on your Chelsea checklist. Whether you find yourself strolling the Highline or exploring galleries, don’t forget to stop in and give this place a try. One of my favorite parts about Bottino Take Out is that there are a variety of sandwiches depending on if you are vegetarian, love meat, or want a more classic Italian-style, but no matter what you choose you truly can’t go wrong.
When entering the small establishment, you are greeted by the line of workers taking orders behind the counter and the fast-paced environment surrounding it. From there, the menu items, displayed on a chalkboard, go in numerical order and the line moves fast so I would recommend looking it over prior to coming in or just wing it. After ordering, you will linger around and eavesdrop on other peoples sandwich preferences until they yell your number and bread selection out loud to the crowd. Some of my favorite sandwich items on the menu are:
9 ½: A smoked turkey sandwich with asiago, mayo, honey mustard, tomato, and arugula. I would say this is the least Italian-style sandwich they have and also my all-time favorite! Everything on the sandwich compliments one another very well and the honey mustard is the perfect add-on to make it my favorite.
11: The grilled eggplant with peppers, goat cheese, arugula and balsamic drizzled on top is another one to try. If you are not a meat fan then I would highly recommend this option! The eggplant is not chewy and the goat cheese adds a lot of flavor to the bite. A tip is to ask them to spread the goat cheese out on the bread to minimize the large chunks of cheese you might get in your bites.
18: A classic Italian sandwich, and one that you can’t go wrong with as well. With prosciutto, mozzarella, tomato, and arugula added to your choice of bread make for a delicious experience. One thing I always ask for when ordering this to get a side of balsamic and olive oil so you can dip it in to give it a little bit more flavor. This is probably the lighter of options from the below, so if you aren’t too hungry I would lean towards this sandwich.
Everything on the menu is worth trying and the bread selection, baked fresh daily, fit every person’s preferences whether you are gluten-free or love ciabatta. My favorites are either the olive bread or multigrain, but many people enjoy the focaccia. Even though Bottino Take Out is known for their sandwiches, they also have an assortment of pastries, cookies, lasagnas, salads, chips, and even empanadas (on certain days) to choose from. In my opinion, the ultimate order at Bottino is the 9 ½ sandwich on olive bread with a side of fusilli pasta salad, a chocolate chip walnut cookie, and a bag of chips. That sounds like a lot, but trust me, it is very do-able. It allows you to try a variety of different menu items because you don’t want to miss out on any of this greatness that is Bottino Take Out.