Sonny's sub recipe, first recollection

Recipe for Sonny's sub, to the best of my recollection:
This works best with a time travel device that takes you to 1975 or so.

- 1 Hero roll, white flour based, custom made to order at the IGA bakery on Mt. Vernon Road
- 3 slices cappicola hot ham from DiPaolo distributors, Columbus, OH
- 3 slices hard salami from DiPaolo distributors, Columbus, OH
- A leaf or two of sliced iceberg lettuce
- A ring of thinly sliced onion
- A small ladle or two of equal parts shaken oil and vinegar plus Sonny's secret spice mixture
- 3 or 4 oz coarsely grated low-moisture mozzarella cheese from DiPaolo distributors, Columbus, OH

Slice the hero roll lengthwise. Sprinkle the grated mozzarella on BOTH SIDES of the sliced roll, bake it in pizza oven at 325 degrees until mozzarella gets a bit brown on the peaks. Slip it out of the oven and quickly spread out the cappicola and salami over the molten cheese, dress with iceberg lettuce and onion and then hit it with a generous wash of the oil and vinegar dressing. Pop the top on that sucker, slice it into two halves and eat it before it cools.

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In a moment of lazy nostalgia in NYC around 1990 in the East Village, I went into an Italian pizza shop that had subs. I asked the guy, "Make me your regular sub, but can you toast the cheese on it and then put the meat and everything else on cold?" The cook behind the counter said, "Oh yeah, I know about that way."

I went back about five more times over the next few months and each time the cook saw me he just nodded and started making the sandwich. Deep.