Don’t let the title of today’s post and the picture above fool you. I’ve not succumbed to eating meat again after some 20+ years because of Florence. That’s the bronze Il Porcellino (the piglet), a fountain at the Piazza del Mercato Nuovo. Tourists come by to rub the boar’s snout to ensure a return to Florence, that is if they can pry themselves away from haggling over the leather goods hanging in stalls behind the fountain:

Today I’m taking you to a sort of hole in the wall where I found arguably the best sandwich in Florence, or perhaps the world. And I’m a pretty finicky eater. All’Antico Vinaio is a narrow, tiny sandwich shop…

that you could easily walk by and miss except for the typically long line of people waiting outside at lunch time. When you do make it inside,

take a few minutes to get over the sensory overload, then put in your custom order at the counter…

and this nice guy will build it for you:

While waiting, you can serve yourself some house Chianti outside the front door for a mere 2 euros. My bespoke sandwich today consists of grilled eggplants, marinated Tuscan vegetables, fresh arugula, and truffle spread on fresh-out-of-the-oven-to-die-for focacia bread:

My mouth is watering as I type this. The joint is near the Uffizi and it is cash only. But if you must use a credit card, you can go pay for it directly across the street at the owner’s father’s restaurant. There are lots of dining options all around Florence, but I would make it a point to come back here for their sandwiches.