Nonna-Inspired Meatball-Loaded Foccaccia

Robert Bayette

Pane & Mozz, a sister concept of Wayback Burgers, is an Italian deli specializing in oversized focaccia sandwiches. “The goal is simple: Make sandwiches the way they should be made with fresh bread and quality ingredients,” says Robert Bayette, corporate chef for both brands, which operate under the Hubspoke Brands platform.

Inspired by Italy’s trapizzino-style sandwiches, Bayette developed the lineup of Nonna paninis for Pane & Mozz, drawing as much from personal memory as culinary tradition. “It brought me back to being a kid in my grandmother’s kitchen. She’d slice off the end of the loaf and hand it to me with a spoonful of sauce and a meatball while everything was still simmering,” he says.

The Nonna Sunday Panini channels those nostalgic Sunday supper flavors. “At Pane & Mozz, we braise the pork and beef, letting it simmer in rich tomato sauce for hours, then shred the meat together before stuffing it into the soft, pillowy focaccia,” Bayette explains. “It’s messy, comforting, nostalgic and exactly the kind of food we love making.”

For Bayette, the concept extends well beyond a single sandwich. “What excites me most about this concept is how far the idea can go,” he says. “Different braises and sauces, different inspirations. There’s so much room to keep evolving it.”

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