With over 506,000 claiming Italian-American heritage, New York City remains the largest Italian city outside of Italy, and food remains very intertwined with the culture. Everyone knows of Manhattan’s iconic (if shrinking) Little Italy, and foodies flock to Arthur Avenue in the Bronx. But Chelsea is becoming a destination in and of itself, specifically a small stretch of Seventh Avenue, between 21st and 22nd streets.

Anchored by Le Zie since 1999 and Bar Veloce in 2010, it welcomed Ralph’s Famous Italian Ices just this year. Now, fleshing out the Italophilic options is Pisillo Italian Panini, which opened its doors in May. A family-run company, Pisillo developed a strong following in Chelsea back in its earliest incarnation, on West 25th Street. Strong enough, in fact, to desire a larger and more accommodating space after five years of bustling business.