One of Toronto's best sandwich shops is about to open a new location

A Toronto restaurant known for some of the best sandwiches in Toronto is setting its sights on a new neighbourhood.

If you know your sandwiches in Toronto (and, really, what Toronto resident doesn't have a running list of their top five sandwich shops ready at all times?), you most certainly know of Elm Street Italian Deli.

Founded by Lawrence La Pianta of Cherry Street Bar-B-Que fame, the contemporary take on a traditional Italian deli has gained a reputation for its sizeable, satisfying sandwiches over the years, earning itself a widely agreed upon distinction as one of the city's best sandwich shops.

That the sandwiches incorporate meats smoked, grilled and processed out of Cherry Street Bar-B-Que certainly helps, too.

Now, even more people in the city will be able to experience the magic that is Elm Street Deli for themselves, as La Pianta gears up to open a third location, just a hop and a skip from Cherry Street Bar-B-Que, in Leslieville.

More specifically, Elm Street is moving into a space at 1247 Queen St. E., the former home of Tom & Sawyer pet food.

"A lot of it came down to, just from a logistics perspective, kind of triangulating Cherry Street, the original Elm Street location, Eaton Centre, Leslieville, it just worked into the flow," La Pianta tells blogTO.

When the space, somewhat serendipitously, became available to him, La Pianta tells blogTO that it was a no-brainer. Almost immediately after calling the former tenant up to inquire about taking over the space, he found himself striking a deal. Elm Street Leslieville was set in motion.

And not a moment too soon. La Pianta tells blogTO that, since the deli's inception, a large majority of Elm Street's foods have been batch-cooked out of Cherry Street Bar-B-Que's kitchen.

It soon became clear that Elm Street Deli needed its own commissary kitchen, and the new Leslieville space is the perfect place for it to go.

The new location also marks a new chapter in Elm Street Deli's story, as it'll be the first location that's open for breakfast, not just lunch, and serves coffee, for which La Pianta has partnered with Stouffville's Back Alley Moto Cafe.

Expect all of Elm Street Deli's much-loved sandwich staples, paired with an entirely new crop of breakfast sandwiches and early-morning eats to discover.

"I went to Dad's, and I was just like, 'This is so good.' Like, 'We need something like this on the east side,'" La Pianta tells blogTO. "So that's where it all came from, and what drove it."

There's even more good news for Elm Street fans to celebrate, too. La Pianta tells blogTO that he plans to bring the deli's Chicken Caesar Wrap, a limited-time collaboration with The Chew Review, back once the new location is open.

"We'll probably do it on a Saturday, so that people can make it there and all that stuff," La Pianta explains. "That's already in the works, so we definitely want to do that again and have some fun with that."

You'll have to keep an eye trained on Elm Street Deli's social media accounts to find out when, exactly, the Chicken Caesar Wrap will be making its grand return to the local sandwich scene, but the good news is that all of Elm Street's regular sandwiches more than hit the spot, too.

Better yet, you won't have to wait long to visit the new Leslieville location. La Pianta tells blogTO that, at present, he's just waiting on the last of his kitchen supplies to be delivered and, once that happens, he's ready to spring into action.

So, while the exact opening date of Elm Street Deli is still up in the air, it should be landing within the next two weeks. In the meantime, you can get a teaser of what's to come at the sandwich shop's other two locations on Elm Street and at Queen's Cross Food Hall in the Eaton Centre.