Rebel Bread Founder Launches Gino Panino, a Grab-and-Go Italian Sandwich Concept

Rebel Bread founder Zach Martinucci was raised in a big Italian family. At its helm were his grandparents: leaders, role models and culinary inspirations.

Rebel Bread customers may know a bit about Nonna Gloria’s legacy. Every Sunday, she would serve a roast seasoned with garlic, fresh sprigs of rosemary and sage, salt, pepper and extra virgin olive oil — all ingredients that appear in the namesake “Nonna G” sourdough loaf.

Alongside the matriarch stood Nonno Gino, a carpenter and cabinet-maker committed to craftsmanship, quality and doing things right the first time. These values form the pillars of Martinucci’s new company named in his grandfather’s honor: Gino Panino, a grab-and-go sandwich concept with an Italian flair.

According to Martinucci, Rebel Bread recently started experimenting with sandwiches in an effort to expand its retail selection, and customers responded with enthusiasm. But to grow in that area, he felt it was necessary to make a distinction between the bakery and the sandwich operation. “We see Gino Panino as having its own identity — both being a little bit more Italian-leaning and a different product than what we make at Rebel,” he says.

But the two brands have plenty in common, including quality standards and a shared bread recipe. “It's the same Rebel sourdough that we've been making for years, just shaped as focaccia,” affirms Martinucci, adding that it’s naturally leavened and made with regional flour from Dry Storage, an artisan mill in Boulder. Other ingredients come from local purveyors, too, including greens from Denver-based Altius Farms.

Two California companies supply the proteins. One is Fra’ Mani, which takes Martinucci back to his exchange program at the University of Bologna. “I was studying culinary traditions and how local identity is expressed through the food that people cook and eat,” he says, noting that in Bologna, cured meats and cheeses are a staple, and they both appear in several of Gino Panino’s sandwiches.

The Elisa, for example, features sourdough focaccia, a handful of arugula, honey-pistachio mascarpone and salame rosa, a product that originated in Bologna. The menu also includes the Giada, made with crispy and smoky pancetta, egg soufflé, a pecorino spread and tangy tomato butter. And then there’s the Josie — rosemary ham, romaine, mascarpone and dijon stacked between pieces of the garlicky “Nonna G” sourdough focaccia.

Three out of the seven sandwich options are vegetarian, even the Josie — thanks to Prime Roots, a Berkeley-based brand that crafts deli meat alternatives made with cultured koji. This umami-rich aspergillus grows within mycelium, colloquially known as mushroom roots, and can indeed taste like chicken or, in this case, ham. “We wanted to offer something that was as close as we could get to the classic option so it didn't feel like it was a concession for a vegan audience, but really something that was designed to be the same as the rest of the menu, just with plant-based ingredients,” says Martinucci.

Like the company itself, each of the sandwiches is named after important figures: influential women in the lives of founding team members. The Marci, which features turkey galantine, brie, slices of green apple and spicy fig jam, is a nod to Martinucci’s mother. He says she raised him well, encouraged him to be kind, and passed down her bright smile. In turn, Martinucci taught her how to bake bread. “She now bakes really wonderful bread, and it's something that we've bonded over in recent years,” he says.

Gino Panino is currently in a soft launch period, with the sandwiches available at the Rebel Bread retail counter at 675 South Broadway, along with a few Rebel Bread wholesale accounts. These include Roast Coffee Bar, Huckleberry Roasters in Larimer Square, Leevers Locavore and Queen City Collective Coffee’s new location in LoDo.

But Martinucci has big plans for the company, as well as the current Rebel Bread space. He wants to create an interior cafe and add to the existing patio seating. Ideally, the remodel will also allow for a designated teaching kitchen, as well as room for increased production.

Because by spring, Martinucci hopes to see the brand at many more retailers along the Front Range, as well as local farmers' markets. But in the meantime, “The whole menu is available right now," he says. "It's just on limited release as we're learning to make more sandwiches."

Rebel Bread's retail counter is located at 675 South Broadway and is open Tuesday through Sunday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.; it's closed Monday. Learn more at rebelbreadco.com.