In this great city of ours, one could eat a different sandwich every day of the year—so that's what we'll do. Here's A Sandwich a Day, our daily look at sandwiches around New York. Got a sandwich we should check out? Let us know. —The Mgmt.

[Photograph: Robyn Lee]

Alleva Dairy may be the oldest Italian cheese store in America—they've been selling ricotta salata, fontina, mozzarella, and more since 1892. But we urge you to look beyond the curds: their meatball sub ($7.75) is worth its weight in truffle oil. Why get a pound of provolone when you can get a pound of hot meatballs stuffed in crust? A slab of home-made, salted mozzarella rings the inside perimeter of the sandwich, acting as a barrier that protects the bread from the sauce (although not wholly successfully, as seen above).

The meatballs are definitely the best part about this sandwich: soft and garlicky, they can be sliced beautifully down the middle without any crags or crumbling. As all of our sandwiches here at Serious Eats are divided and conquered, we were very appreciative of the sub's ability to keep things together. A latecomer arrived to an empty table, exclaiming, "But I thought there was a meatball sub today!"

"I don't know what you're talking about," we replied, dabbing the marinara from our chins.

Alleva Dairy

188 Grand St, New York NY 10013 (map)
212-226-7990
allevadairy.com