Tamburini in Bologna's Quadrilatero runs a take-away salumi counter with the mortadella sandwich, the tigella with squacquerone and the daily-changing pasta-by-weight tray for office lunch.
Tip: The take-away counter runs 11:00 to 22:00; the lunch peak is 12:30 to 13:30 and the queue thins after 14:00.
Address: Via Caprarie 1, 40124 Bologna BO
Pizzeria Altero on Via dell'Indipendenza in Bologna is the 1957-founded pizza-al-taglio counter, an old-school Bolognese fixture serving slabs of pizza rossa, pizza bianca and crescentine fritte.
Try: Pizza al taglio
Tip: Take-away counter only; the pizza rossa is 3 euros per slab and the queue thins after the 13:00 lunch peak.
Sfoglia Rina in Bologna's Centro Storico runs a take-away counter selling hand-rolled pasta by weight, with tortellini, tagliatelle, tortelloni and lasagne sheets sold to the locals.
Try: Tortellini, tagliatelle by weight
Tip: The take-away counter runs from 09:00; tortellini sell by the 250g bag from 6 euros. Take home and cook in salted water 3 minutes.
Casa Monica in Bologna's Saragozza is the piadina-and-crescentine counter with the Romagnola flatbreads stuffed with squacquerone, prosciutto and Bolognese mortadella, eat-in and take-away.
Try: Piadina, crescentine
Tip: Walk-in works; the piadina runs 4 to 7 euros and the take-away queue thins after 13:30.
Tigelleria Emiliana in Bologna's Centro Storico runs the hot-griddled tigelle counter with the cunza lard-and-rosemary paste, the salumi board and the daily-changing weekday lunch carte.
Try: Crescentine, tigelle
Tip: The tigelle arrive hot from the cast-iron pans; eat within 5 minutes or they go leather-tough. The cunza is the killer detail.
Piadineria da Bardo in Bologna's University quarter is the Romagnola piadina counter from Forli, with the rosemary-and-lard flatbread, the squacquerone-and-rocket filling and the late-night student crowd.
Try: Piadina Romagnola
Tip: Walk-in only; the piadine run 4 to 7 euros and the late-night counter runs to 22:00. Cash and card both fine.
Bottega Portici in Bologna's Centro Storico is the take-away counter for crescentine fritte and gnocco fritto, with the daily salumi tagliere and the after-aperitivo crowd.
Try: Crescentine, gnocco fritto
Tip: Take-away counter runs 11:00 to 23:00; the gnocco fritto is fried to order and best eaten within 5 minutes.
