PHOTO COURTESY OF TIM’S CORNER MARKET

To Rico Lunardi, owner of the Slice on Broadway pizza chain and a new sandwich shop called Tim’s Corner Market, bread is just another member of his big Italian family.

He’s spent 14 years perfecting his crust, reveling in the science of dough. His New York-style pies have a crispy crust with a satisfying pull when you bite into it. At this year’s International Pizza Expo in Las Vegas, his cheese slice was named fifth best in the world.

Now he’s mastering the art of the hoagie roll.

If I handed out sandwich awards, Tim’s Corner Market would need a large trophy case to hold all of them. I’ve had nearly every hoagie on the menu at the tiny, counter-service market, which is located next to the original Slice on Broadway location at 2128 Broadway Ave. in Beechview. (There are now six Slices throughout Pittsburgh and, hopefully, more Markets on the horizon.)

Unlike the sandwiches at Slice on Broadway, which are served on toasted Breadworks baguettes, Tim’s cold hoagies are served on rolls baked in-house. They are dense, chewy and strong enough to support a mountain of deli meats, cheeses and veggies without overpowering those flavors.

PHOTO COURTESY OF TIM’S CORNER MARKET

“I want the bread to be the Best Supporting Actor, not the star,” Lunardi says, adding that customers can buy loaves if they want a straight shot of carbohydrates.

Named after Lunardi’s late father, Tim’s opened in 2020, giving area residents a friendly, affordable place where they could grab essential items and locally made goods. In March, the business started slinging its own subs, pasta salad and desserts.

The hoagies have heft.

PHOTO COURTESY OF TIM’S CORNER MARKET

When I picked up my first to-go order — a foot-long Canton Crusher loaded with London broil top-round roast beef, turkey, ham, salami, capicola, provolone, shredded lettuce, potato chips, oil and vinegar  — I had to cradle the paper bag like a baby. I’m pretty sure it weighed more than my preemie daughter did at birth.

My second “child” was a Tim’s Italian with salami, capicola, mortadella, provolone cheese lettuce, tomato, onion, oil and vinegar. It was sprinkled with Rico’s Italian Seasoning, one of several Slice Spice blends Lunardi packages and sells at his businesses. I adopted three 9-ounce containers and a jar of pizza sauce, too.

Since Lunardi’s Italian roots run deep — he’s got a slice of pizza inked on his arm and once ran a restaurant specializing in pasta dishes — the menu also includes the Broadway Avenue Italian. This one, which I devoured before recording “The Pittsburgh Dish” podcast last month, is packed with soppressata, capicola, pepperoni, provolone, cherry pepper relish, lettuce, tomato, onion and oil.

If you want something simple, yet delicious, order the Hammy: chipped ham, American cheese, lettuce and mayo. You can also come up with your own creation.

Both of Lunardi’s parents grew up in Beechview. His dad used to hang out on the corner where his namesake eatery now stands. It’s a fitting tribute to a man who believed in family and the unifying power of food.

Lunardi wants Slice on Broadway and Tim’s Corner Market to be community hubs.

“We want to grow while maintaining that mom-and-pop feel,” he says. “We have a great product, but the experience you create is more important.”