A panini is a pressed hot sandwich from Italy: fill the bread, then press it between two hot plates until the outside is crisp and the filling is hot. Hotdogray is a hot dog shop, but the menu has 9 paninis, 4 sweet and 5 savory, from $40 to $60. You'll find them inside AI DARTS in Taipei's Da'an District.
What the Word Means
In Italian, panino is the diminutive of pane (bread), so it literally means "little bread," and panini is the plural. In English, "panini" took over as the singular for one pressed sandwich, which is why ordering "a panini" in the US sounds perfectly normal. Merriam-Webster notes that the word is used as both singular and plural in English.
From Milan Sandwich Bars to the American Pressed Sandwich
In the 1970s and 1980s, sandwich bars called paninoteche became trendy in Milan. In 1980s Italy, the fashion-obsessed young crowd that hung out at them even got a name: paninari.
In Italy, a panino can be almost any filled bread roll, cold or hot. In the US and other English-speaking countries, a panini usually means a pressed hot sandwich, grilled in a panini press that leaves those stripes across the bread. That's the picture most people have in mind today.
Why a Hot Dog Shop Sells Paninis
The menu tells the story. The 5 savory paninis use the same toppings as the hot dogs: cheese, tater tots, house chili, country gravy, bacon and mac and cheese. Flavors you know from the hot dogs, pressed between bread for a different texture.
The 4 sweet ones fill a gap a hot dog shop usually has: something sweet after the savory stuff, or a small snack with a drink. Paninis are also part of the combo: order a hot dog and add +$89 for a $50 fried item, a $40 drink and a $40 panini.
The 9 Paninis on Hotdogray's Menu
Sweet
- Peanut $40
- Peanut Cocoa $40
- Coconut Crumble $40
- Oreo Chocolate $45
Savory
- Cheese Tater Tots $50
- Mac & Cheese Panini $55 (new)
- Bacon Chili Cheese $60
- Tater Tot Chili Cheese $60
- Country Gravy Bacon Cheese $60 (new)
Peanut, peanut cocoa and coconut crumble are flavors anyone who has eaten breakfast in Taiwan will recognize: they're classic spreads on thick toast at local breakfast shops. Oreo Chocolate leans more American dessert. Full prices are on the menu.
How to Pick
- Something sweet: start with the $40 Peanut, Peanut Cocoa or Coconut Crumble, or go Oreo Chocolate ($45) if you're a chocolate person.
- A savory meal: if you like the house chili, get Bacon Chili Cheese or Tater Tot Chili Cheese ($60 each). The chili has its own story.
- Cheese and tots: Cheese Tater Tots ($50) is the cheapest savory option.
- Something new: the Mac & Cheese Panini ($55) and Country Gravy Bacon Cheese ($60) arrived with the new sauces in October 2026. Read about mac and cheese and country gravy.
- Make it a combo: the +$89 hot dog combo includes a $40 panini (Peanut, Peanut Cocoa and Coconut Crumble are all $40). For other flavors, the menu says anything above the included value is charged as an extra.
Playing darts with a group? Order one sweet and one savory and pass them around. For the hot dogs, see the hot dog flavors guide.
FAQ
Q: How is a panini different from a regular sandwich?
A: A panini is a type of sandwich. What sets it apart is that it's pressed between two hot plates after it's filled, so the outside gets crisp and the filling is hot.
Q: How much are Hotdogray's paninis?
A: $40 to $60. Sweet: Peanut, Peanut Cocoa and Coconut Crumble are $40, Oreo Chocolate is $45. Savory: Cheese Tater Tots $50, Mac & Cheese Panini $55, and Bacon Chili Cheese, Tater Tot Chili Cheese and Country Gravy Bacon Cheese at $60 each.
Q: Can I get a panini in a combo?
A: Yes. With a hot dog, +$89 gets you a $50 fried item, a $40 drink and a $40 panini, and +$99 adds a $55 walking taco. Anything above the included value is charged as an extra.
Q: When can I get it?
A: Wed, Thu, Fri + every other Sat, 8PM to around midnight. The kitchen is closed on Tuesdays. Weather or special circumstances can change that, so message us on LINE to be sure.
