Elemental Eggplant Parm Sandwich Explodes At Leo's Latticini

Seeds ooze out the sides, tomato sauce laps at the edges, cheese gums up the works, and the eggplant itself has dissolved into something unidentifiable deep in the sandwich, just a texture and subtle flavor presence in its light coating of bread crumbs.

This is the fabled eggplant parmesan sandwich at Leo's Latticini, probably the only remaining fresh cheese store in the old Italian neighborhood of Corona. (The other holdouts include the Lemon Ice King of Corona and the Parkside restaurant.)

Measuring a foot in length, the sandwich is really too much for one person to eat unless you happen to be a firefighter or lumberjack. This is the sort of sandwich that makes vegetarianism special -- nothing with meat could be quite this lush or decadent. Eat it in the backyard of the bakery (one of three storefronts that make up Leo's Latticini), weather-permitting. And bring a friend, since the warm sandwich doesn't travel well.

Leo's Latticini
46-02 104th Street
Corona, Queens
718-898-6069

N.B. -- Open until 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

100 Days/100 Dishes is an almost-random alphabetical collection of delicious dishes from around the five boroughs. See the entire series so far.

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