This Crustless Italian Sandwich Dates Back To The 1920s

The tramezzino (plural tramezzini) is a staple Italian sandwich as beloved in Venice as it is in Turin, where it was invented. The crustless, often triangular white-bread sandwich can be filled with everything from tomato and mozzarella to lobster, and is a seriously underrated Italian sandwich. Unlike many other famous bread-bound classics, such as the Reuben, where there are competing claims to its invention, the tramezzino's origins seem pretty much undisputed. There's even an engraved plaque commemorating its invention in 1926 by Angela Demichelis Nebiolo. The plaque is located in Caffe Mulassano in Turin, which Angela and her husband, Onorino, bought in 1925 after returning to Italy from the United States.

The couple brought with them some novel ideas, including Angela's notion of crafting the kind of sandwiches they enjoyed in America and England. She used the local white bread, pancarré, to create tramezzini using a range of ingredients, from the simple, like anchovies and butter, to the more complex, like sliced veal in a tuna, caper, and egg sauce. Even this sammy's name, which can translate to "the middle morning snack" or "small snack," has a unique origin story. The Italian poet and aristocrat Gabriele D'Annunzio, a denizen of the cafe, allegedly gave them their name (from tramezzo, meaning "in between"). The sandwiches took off and soon spread to other parts of the country.

Angela Demichelis and Onorino Nebiolo had both immigrated to the United States before meeting in Detroit, marrying, and then heading back to Italy, where they bought Caffe Mulassano. Today, it's still there in all its Art Nouveau glory and now serves around 30 different tramezzini variations. Among its most popular selections are the lobster salad, smoked goose breast, and truffle pate with mascarpone. The soft and fluffy white bread is made in-house, and unlike many other tramezzini, the ones at Caffe Mulassano are square rather than triangular. There, as elsewhere in Italy, the preferred accompaniment to these sandwiches is a glass of vermouth.

As of 2026, this famous Italian sandwich has reached its centennial year and remains as popular as ever. Without their time spent in the United States, the Nebiolos may never have invented the tramezzino, demonstrating the importance of culinary cross-pollination. In a similar vein, without Italian immigrants, America would never have invented the Italian sub, exemplary versions of which can be found across the country. Unfortunately, tramezzini are hard to find Stateside, but we think it's high time these crustless wonders got some love on this side of the Atlantic.