Some food collaborations begin with a brief. This one comes with more than a decade of friendship. Candice’s Gourmet Sandwiches and Milano Ice Cream have joined hands for the limited-edition Sara & Candice Italian Sandwich, bringing together two women who have built their businesses alongside each other in Bengaluru. Having tried the offering, I found plenty to enjoy in its combination of soft focaccia, creamy burrata and Italian-inspired fillings. It is an indulgent sandwich with enough freshness to keep each bite interesting—and a lovely reason to revisit a familiar neighbourhood address.
A Bengaluru friendship behind the collaboration
Behind the collaboration are Candice Lock, Chef and Partner of Candice’s Gourmet Sandwiches and Chinita Real Mexican Food, and Sara Calderoni, Co-founder and Director of Milano Ice Cream and Milano Bakery Cafe. Their shared history in Bengaluru’s food industry gives the launch a personal connection. Inspired by Italian hospitality, local ingredients and their love of good food, the sandwich feels well suited to the sort of meal that invites you to sit down, catch up and take your time.
Sara Calderoni and Candice Lock bring their Bengaluru food brands together for a limited-edition Italian sandwich.
Focaccia, burrata and pistachio butter
The appeal starts with the focaccia. A sandwich with several generous fillings needs bread that can bring everything together, and the soft focaccia is central to this one’s character. It provides a comforting base for the burrata, vegetables and pistachio butter, allowing the filling to remain the focus. There is an easy abundance to the combination: enough going on to make it feel special, without requiring an elaborate occasion to order it.
Burrata is the ingredient that makes the proposition particularly inviting. Its creamy texture gives both versions their indulgent centre, while grilled eggplant brings another soft, savoury element. Peppery arugula introduces freshness, and pistachio butter adds a nutty dimension. These ingredients give the vegetarian and non-vegetarian sandwiches a shared identity, with the main filling taking each in a slightly different direction.
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Two versions of the Sara & Candice Italian Sandwich
The vegetarian Italian sandwich, priced at ₹520, combines balsamic-grilled zucchini with burrata, grilled eggplant and arugula. It is a considered combination, with the zucchini giving the sandwich its own character. The balsamic element introduces a sweet-tart note to balance the creaminess, while the grilled vegetables make the filling feel substantial. For anyone drawn to vegetable-led sandwiches, there is plenty here to make the choice appealing.
At ₹650, the non-vegetarian version pairs Salami Milano with the same combination of burrata, grilled eggplant and arugula. The salami adds a savoury counterpoint to the dairy and vegetables, giving this version a different emphasis. Its appeal is easy to understand: creamy cheese, cured meat and soft bread are a promising foundation, with the remaining ingredients adding contrast and freshness.
What worked—and one small reservation
What I liked about the offering overall was how comfortably it sat between an everyday sandwich and something a little more indulgent. It has the familiarity of an easy lunch order, but the ingredient combination gives it a sense of occasion. This is the kind of food I would consider for an unhurried catch-up, when you want something satisfying and a little different from your usual choice.
My only small reservation was that the greens felt slightly generous across the sandwich and accompanying salad. A lighter hand would have let the other elements come through more clearly. Even so, that was a minor detail in an otherwise enjoyable meal; the overall combination worked well, and the freshness had its place alongside the richer ingredients.
The pistachio butter is another reason the collaboration stands out on paper. Alongside the burrata and focaccia, it gives the sandwich a distinct ingredient story without turning the menu description into a long list of additions. Each component has a recognizable role: richness from the cheese, freshness from the leaves, depth from the grilled vegetables and either salami or balsamic zucchini to complete the filling.
There is also something appealing about a collaboration built around one idea and offered in two versions. It makes choosing straightforward while giving vegetarian diners an equally considered option. The shared foundation keeps the two sandwiches connected, and the different main fillings allow people at the same table to approach the collaboration according to their preferences.
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Where to try it in Bengaluru
For readers looking for a gourmet sandwich in Bengaluru, the launch offers several places to try it. The Sara & Candice Italian Sandwich is available at Candice’s Gourmet Sandwiches outlets in Indiranagar, Whitefield, Koramangala and Bellandur, as well as Milano Bakery Cafe in Indiranagar. It is also listed for delivery through Swiggy and Zomato, making it an option for a lunch break at home or an evening when cooking can wait.
The collaboration runs from September 14 to October 14, 2026, so there is a limited window to try it. The vegetarian version is priced at ₹520 and the non-vegetarian version at ₹650. For me, it is an enjoyable addition to Bengaluru’s sandwich choices: comforting, generously filled and brought together by a friendship with roots in the city’s food community. If soft focaccia and creamy burrata are your idea of a good lunch, this is one to put on your list.
