Carmenta’s

On the corner of Starr and Wilson in Bushwick, Carmenta's runs an Italian specialty counter with an open kitchen and only a few stools for eating in. The sandwiches are the reason to come: fried eggplant with stewed peppers and ricotta on Napoli Bakery bread, thin-sliced ham with gruyere and labneh, a version stacked with meatballs and salsa verde. A short list of pastas runs alongside the sandwiches, including a rigatoni in vodka sauce. Most people order it to go, to a nearby park or a friend's place.