Food
This Queen West sandwich spot makes focaccia the main event
Mico on Queen West swaps the usual schiacciata for focaccia al padellino — a crunchy-bottom, soft-top bread fermented 72 hours and topped like a mini pizza.
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By Torontoer Staff
If you’ve been wandering Queen West lately, you’ve probably noticed another Italian spot joining Toronto’s bustling sandwich scene. Mico Sandwiches doesn’t try to outdo the neighbourhood on cured meats or house-made mozzarella — it leans on something rarer here: a focaccia that borrows its soul from Torino’s pizza al padellino.
Owner Domenico De Leo, who opened the family’s Da Grazia Ristorante after moving to Canada in 2013, has spent years chasing the right dough. The result is a focaccia that feels like a little pan pizza and works brilliantly as the base for overstuffed sandwiches you’ll want to share — or save for leftovers.
Why the bread steals the show
Pizza al padellino is a deep-dish, pan-baked style from Torino — think crunchy bottom, pillowy top, and a structure that holds up to generous fillings. De Leo adapted that idea for focaccia, importing Italian flour but also blending in spelt and rice flours for extra depth of flavour. The dough gets a slow, 72-hour fermentation, which is where a lot of the magic comes from: it develops complex flavour, a crisp underside and a soft, airy crumb on top.
I didn’t want to copy and paste what everybody does. I’ve been trying to see what might be a good product that resembles the focaccias that we have in Italy but is something a little different as well.
Domenico De Leo
De Leo says it took about a year of testing flours, hydration and fermentation times to hit the texture he wanted. The payoff is a sturdier sandwich that still feels fresh and light — no sad, soggy bread by the time you get to the last bite.
Three focaccias, inspired by Italy’s regions
When you step up to the counter at Mico, you pick one of three focaccia al padellino bases that are meant to channel different Italian traditions. They’re all made from the same dough and process, but each has its own toppings so you can match the bread to your sandwich choices.
- Classica — the baseline, versatile and just-right for a traditional ham-and-cheese or veggie-filled option.
- La Baresina — dotted with black olives and tomatoes for a brighter, slightly salty bite.
- Calabrese — topped with potatoes and onions for an earthy, comforting flavour that’s surprisingly addictive.
Beyond the bread, the sandwich fillings are worth lingering over. Mico uses house-made creams and fresh Italian ingredients, so even straightforward combos feel elevated.
What to order (and how to enjoy it)
If you want something to tell your friends about, try the namesake Mico sandwich: tartufo cream, goat cheese, marinated ham, honey and lettuce. It’s rich, slightly sweet, and pairs surprisingly well with an Italian Chinotto soda — a classic, bittersweet soft drink you don’t see on every corner in Toronto.
Focaccia is a really complex dish. There’s a thousand different types of focaccia, so we’re trying to resemble the most popular ones.
Domenico De Leo
Portions are generous — many sandwiches are huge enough to share or save for a second meal. De Leo tells me they’ll soon offer half-size versions for kids or anyone with a smaller appetite, which is great news if you want to sample more than one sandwich during a single Queen West outing.
Tips for trying Mico on your next neighbourhood stroll
- Go mid-morning or early afternoon to avoid the busiest rushes — the focaccia is freshest right after baking.
- Pair your sandwich with a Chinotto or grab a coffee from a nearby café and picnic at Trinity Bellwoods if it’s a sunny day.
- Try a half-size (when available) if you want to taste multiple focaccias without wasting food.
- Save room for leftovers — the dough stands up well to being reheated the next day.
Mico is a reminder that in Toronto’s booming Italian sandwich movement, small innovations make a big difference. Rather than piling premium meats on the same old schiacciata, De Leo focused on the foundation: a focaccia that feels new but comfortably familiar.
So next time you’re wandering Queen West, pull in, pick a focaccia, and let the bread do the talking. Whether you’re a sandwich obsessive from Leslieville or just exploring the west-end food scene, Mico is worth a detour.
foodsandwichesQueen WestbakingItalian
