Amato’s in Holden runs a counter inside G&M Family Market, so you can pick up a hot lunch on the same trip you do your shopping. The brand goes back to 1902, when Giovanni Amato started selling sandwiches to workers on the Portland waterfront. He built the first Italian sandwich on fresh bread with ham, cheese, and vegetables, and that sandwich, the Real Italian, is still the one most people order at Amato’s in Holden.

The sandwiches

Cold Italians come the way they always have: meat and cheese, tomatoes, onions, green peppers, black olives, pickles, and oil on a soft roll. You pick the size and the fillings. The counter also makes hot sandwiches and wraps if you want something off the grill instead of the cold case. Everything is made when you order it, so a busy lunch hour can mean a short wait.

What sets an Amato’s Italian apart is the bread and the oil. The rolls are soft with a little chew, and the house oil ties the meat, cheese, and vegetables together without soaking through. Ask for extra pickles and hot peppers if that is your thing. Regulars have their standing order down to the size and the exact fillings, and the counter staff usually remember it after a few visits.

Pizza and pasta

The kitchen bakes original-crust pizza by the slice through the day and whole pies to order. Toppings run the usual list: pepperoni, sausage, hamburger, bacon, mushrooms, green peppers, onions, olives, and meatballs. Pasta is on the menu too. Chicken parmesan and lasagne are the regulars, and you can add meatballs or sausage and pick your sauce. Amato’s also makes pazzo bread, folded pizza dough stuffed with cheese and toppings, which is easy to split between a couple of people.

Ordering from Amato’s in Holden

Call the counter directly at (207) 843-0888 to put in an order before you drive over, which is worth doing for a whole pizza or a stack of sandwiches for a crew. The counter keeps its own hours inside the store, generally opening later in the morning and running into the evening, so it starts after the market does. Because it sits right by the registers, you can grab a drink from the cooler, a bag of chips, and the rest of your groceries and check out all at once.

Feeding a group

For a game, a work lunch, or a family night, Amato’s boxes up sandwiches by the tray and sells large pizzas by the pie. A few large Italians cut into sections feed a table without much fuss, and the pasta pans reheat well the next day. Order in the morning for an afternoon pickup and the counter will have it bagged and ready when you come through. Pair it with chips, drinks, and something sweet from the deli and bakery a few steps away, and the whole spread comes from one store.

If you have not had an Amato’s Italian before, order it cold with everything on it the first time. That is the sandwich the company has been making the same way for more than a hundred years, and it travels well if you are taking it home or out on the water. For the full menu and current hours, check the Amato’s Holden page, then come see the counter at G&M.