Stroll the streets of The Hill in St. Louis, Missouri, and you'll find several dozen restaurants and markets touting traditional Italian fare. The area’s Little Italy status comes in no small part thanks to Challie Gioia, whose namesake Gioia's Deli is especially famous for one specific serving — the hot salami sandwich.

Co-owner of Gioia’s Deli Alex Donley told Tasting Table they never freeze their salame de testa, and slice it thick and top it with provolone cheese on freshly baked Italian bread. "All of these one-hundred-plus-year-old practices that have been perfected over time has created a product that is synonymous with St. Louis," Donley said.

This special hot sandwich has even won a James Beard award and appeared on Food Network, though Donley notes that "this does not change the fact that our sole purpose is to serve our customers as fast and friendly as possible." He says this is the soul of Gioia's, who sees about 900 people daily, despite only having 10 seats.