Similar to a panino is a tramezzino, a triangular or square sandwich made up of two slices of soft white bread with the crusts removed.

[4][5][6][7] Although the first US reference to panini dates to 1956, and a precursor appeared in a 16th-century Italian cookbook, the sandwiches became trendy in Milanese bars, called paninoteche, in the 1970s and 1980s.

Trendy US restaurants began selling panini, with distinctive variations appearing in various cities.

[8] During the 1980s, the term paninaro arose in Italy to denote a member of a youth culture represented by patrons of sandwich bars, such as Milan's Al Panino, and Italy's first US-style fast food restaurants.

Paninari were depicted as right-leaning, fashion-fixated individuals, delighting in showcasing early-1980s consumer goods as status symbols.