Porchetta sandwiches key to shop’s success

FRANCIS CRESCIA/VAUGHAN TODAY

The secret to Vicentina Fine Foods’ success may be in the recipe for Mike Mannara’s porchetta sandwiches.

His daughter Genny Branco says it is their signature and best-selling dish.

“He’s really well known for his porchetta,” she says. “That’s a recipe that he’s come up with for the last 40 years.”

Vicentina Fine Foods, an eatery, grocery store and butcher shop, recently won gold in the butcher category at the Best of Vaughan Awards on Sept. 22.

“Oh my god, honestly, it was really, really exciting because we worked so hard for so many years and to finally have something like this … to be noticed by the community, it was really a great honour,” she says.

In addition to offering fresh meats, a panino bar, gourmet frozen foods such as their popular spiedini, she says they also cater corporate and private functions.

She says they have been in Vaughan for 15 years, which they like because of how central it is, and recently moved next door to add seating for up to 60 patrons.

“We also do takeout and catering and it’s all basically what I like to put as quality products, it’s simple Italian cooking and it’s better than gourmet basically that’s done with the best quality ingredients,” she says.

Branco says customers also appreciate the advice they receive on how to cook and prepare the meats, which is one of the reasons why she believes they have so many loyal shoppers.

“I think that’s something our customers really appreciate because they’ll come back and they’ll say, ‘Oh, the instructions were perfect, it came out amazing, my family loved it,’” she says. “We like to stress food brings family and friends together.”