Mozz & Co in West Hartford: Best Italian Sandwiches in CT?

The motivation behind Mozz & Co was simple. Owner Joe Cusano thought West Hartford needed a dedicated sandwich shop. 

“I wanted something that wasn’t a chain, and wasn’t a pizzeria,” he said. Surprisingly, even with the wealth of dining options in the town known for its food scene, what he envisioned wasn’t yet available.

But if you build it, they will come, Cusano learned in April when he opened the doors to his upscale Italian deli on Raymond Road. Word of mouth (and social media video) spread quickly, and long lines quickly formed for the artisanal sandwiches built with crispy chicken cutlets, imported prosciutto, mortadella and salamis; and housemade, can’t-get-any-fresher-than-this mozzarella. 

Mozz & Co. is a dream come true for Cusano, a Southington native who came up through Connecticut’s restaurant scene as a chef de cuisine with the Max Restaurant Group. Most recently, he was the executive chef at Le Mazet, the intimate French restaurant just a third of a mile away in West Hartford Center.  

Like many chefs, Cusano hoped to open his own business in the not-so-far-off future. Last fall, he made the leap, taking over the former Toro Mexican Street Food space and building out his 26-seat fast-casual sandwich destination. The small eatery looks like it would be geared for mostly takeout, but Cusano said dine-in guests account for about 60 percent of his business, boosted by a spacious outdoor patio in the warm months.

Mozz & Co.’s website notes that “exceptional deli experiences start with exceptional ingredients,” and Cusano wanted to do just that with his sandwiches, which are built on either housemade focaccia bread or a 14-inch semolina loaf custom-made for him by A+M Bronx Baking. If you’re there at the right time, you may see the housemade mozzarella in progress, as team members hand-make anywhere from 20 to 100 pounds of fresh cheese in a day.

The Calabrese Cotoletta is a best-seller, featuring semolina bread packed with hearty fried chicken cutlets and topped with a spicy nduja-laced vodka sauce, creamy stracciatella, and a drizzle of pesto. Cotolette Classico is another chicken cutlet-based creation, with arugula, tomato, pecorino Romano and a lemon aioli. (Note: The sandwiches are available in half and full sizes, and a full size may feed you for a couple of days.)

La Nonna is built on semolina with meatballs, marinara, and housemade mozzarella, and Il Paisano is a sandwich version of sausage and peppers, with onions, smoked mozzarella and peperoncini aioli. The Porchetta Trifolata on focaccia features broccoli rabe, provolone, and lemon-truffle aioli.

Italian cured meats star in other Mozz & Co. bestsellers. The Dolce Vita melds a trifecta of coppa, Finocchio salami and prosciutto with arugula, shaved onion, and house mozzarella, and the Classico Italiano presents salami, mortadella, and capicola with mozzarella, arugula, balsamic, and extra-virgin olive oil. La Regina offers a classic pairing of mortadella, pistachio cream, and stracciatella on focaccia with arugula and hot honey.  

Vegetarians aren’t left out, however. The Cream-line features mozzarella, tomato, basil, and arugula, and others offer eggplant, roasted portobello mushrooms, artichoke tapenade, roasted red peppers and additional vegetables. Sandwiches are also customizable, and Mozz & Co. offers gluten-free bread options. 

And while the sandwiches steal the show, Mozz & Co. also offers hearty salads, like a classic Caesar, an antipasto-style salad with soppressata and prosciutto, and a fall recipe with roasted beets, kale, pumpkin seeds and feta.

On the side? We suggest passing up the bagged chips for the ones made on site - fresh-fried potato slices with sea salt and thyme, salt and vinegar or truffle parmesan seasoning. If possible, save room for the homemade tiramisu, either the classic cocoa-topped version or a seasonal flavor, like fall’s pumpkin Biscoff.

Mozz & Co. also offers a special sandwich of the month, like September’s fiery Il Vesuvio with chicken cutlets, pepperoni, pepperoni aioli, cherry pepper agrodolce and roasted long hot peppers. October’s Bre-llisimo built on focaccia featured “a bite of fall,” with Brie cheese, prosciutto cotto, apple chutney, delicata squash and arugula. August’s take on a Philly cheesesteak with Cooper Sharp American cheese was wildly popular, Cusano said - so much so that it will be part of the next seasonal menu rollout in November. (There may also be a turkey-and-stuffing Thanksgiving sandwich, he teased.)

The eatery is only open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. six days a week (and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sundays) but Cusano has had success with a few evening “Italian Suppa” pop-up dinner events, flexing his culinary muscles with family-style dishes like pork scarpariello, linguine vongole, and orange polenta cake. He hopes to host more gatherings like mozzarella-making classes, and potentially a mid-afternoon “apertivo” hour with drinks and small plates, now that Mozz & Co. has a full bar.

And don’t be surprised to see a Mozz & Co. near you in the future. Cusano definitely wants to expand the brand outside of West Hartford, he said. 

Mozz & Co. is at 22 Raymond Road in West Hartford. https://www.mozznco.com/, @mozznco.