Like to loaf around? You’ll find yourself pondering which sandwich to munch for lunch from gourmet bites like braised pork shoulder, drunken chicken, and lemon grass steak, with flourishes like harissa oil and apricot aioli.
Baguette Box, 626 North 34th Street (206-632-1511); 1203 Pine Street, Seattle (206-332-0220 or baguettebox.com).
If we had a dollar for every time someone asked us for Seattle seafood recs, we’d be able to eat oyster sandwiches by the glow of the Pike Place Market sign every day of the week.
Matt’s in the Market, 94 Pike Street, suite 32, Seattle (206-467-7909 or mattsinthemarket.com).
Rising above the common falafel, the $5 wrap is an ambrosial mix of organic hummus, tomato and cucumber salad, thin pickles, a saucy tahini, and fresh-from-the-fryer fritters. There’s a reason the hoi polloi queue up like ants at noon.
Clover Food Lab Truck, Boston (@cloverhub or cloverfoodlab.com).
Want to convince a New Yorker that our dining scene rocks? Stuff his uppity hole with one of the city’s better lobster dishes, an overflowing revelation of big-chunk meat and melted butter inside a lightly toasted brioche.
Neptune Oyster, 63 Salem Street, North End, Boston (617-742-3474 or neptuneoyster.com).
Your days as a cattle rancher were short-lived. Okay, your days with the cattle rancher were short-lived. But you are a true Texas comfort food convert thanks to the sausage, egg, and pimento cheese biscuit sandwich.
Hill Country Chicken, 1123 Broadway, at West 25th Street, New York (212-257-6446 or hillcountrychicken.com).
Old-world Italian market meets restaurant and wine bar, where the Tuscan kale panino (with stracciatella and anchovy) is one of the many satisfying options.
Il Buco Alimentari & Vineria, 53 Great Jones Street, between Bowery and Lafayette Streets, New York (212-837-2622 or ilbucovineria.com).
A Cuban sandwich in Miami isn’t lunch, it’s heritage. Ham, pork, Swiss cheese, pickles, and mustard unite between two slices of Cuban bread at this Miami Beach institution. It’s as close as you’ll get to a night in Havana.
David’s Cafe II, 1654 Meridian Avenue, Miami (305-672-8707 or davidscafe.com).
Leave it to Michelle Bernstein to turn a building lobby into a cute sandwich shop. Get cozy on a grandma-style couch as you dig into gooey grilled cheese on thick butter bread. Wash it down with fresh lemonade and finish up with a bite of homemade cake.
Crumb on Parchment, 3930 Northeast 2nd Avenue, Miami (305-572-9444 or facebook.com).
Ripple’s curbside takeout staff imagines some of the bolder combos in town. Cue the chicka-boom-boom Muzak: Arctic char kisses caper mayo, kale, and potato. Spicy veggies smooth talk black-eyed pea hummus and Gouda. Maple bacon ice cream makes nice with a couple of waffles.
Ripple, 3417 Connecticut Avenue Northwest, between Ordway and Macomb Streets, Washington, D.C. (202-244-7995 or rippledc.com).
The best Italian meats are piled high on fresh-baked sub loaves at the neighborhood cafe. Wine and cold beer wash it all down.
Potato Chips, 7613 Beverly Boulevard, between North Curson and North Stanley Avenues, Los Angeles (323-931-0911).
Lunch on farmers-market-fresh salads and hearty chalkboard-special sandwiches made with seasonal ingredients. Take home a rotisserie chicken for dinner.
Huckleberry Cafe, 1014 Wilshire Boulevard, between 10th and 11th Streets, Santa Monica (310-451-2311 or huckleberrycafe.com).
A converted carriage house doles out more than sixteen sandwiches named for international cities, as well as salads, pickles, and whoopie pies. The menu maps ingredients: chorizo on Madrid; jerk chicken on Kingston, lamb on Athens. Locavores explore!
Sundevich, 1314 9th Street Northwest, between N and O Streets, Washington, D.C. (202-319-1086 or sundevich.com).
Bite into prosciutto, fig preserves, and Fourme d’Ambert blue cheese all nestled between pretzel bread and you’ll never have American on whole wheat again.
Wedge + Fig, 160 North Third Street, Philadelphia (267-603-3090 or wedgeandfig.com).
Other sandwiches pale in comparison to the mac and cheese grilled cheese’s gooey perfection. The tomato soup reminds us of grade school days.
Square Peg, 929 Walnut Street (215-413-3600 or squarepegrestaurant.com).
Much as we love the Kraft-on-white combo, it doesn’t stand a chance against the grilled cheese sandwiches at this eco-chic, quick-service restaurant.
The American Grilled Cheese Kitchen, 1 South Park Avenue, at 2nd Street, San Francisco (415-243-0107 or theamericansf.com).
The secret here is homemade sauce baked directly into the bread (genius!) and then added to every sandwich.
Ike’s Place, 3489 16th Street, between Dehon and Sanchez Streets, San Francisco (415-553-6888 or ilikeikesplace.com).
Expect locally sourced cheeses, fresh-baked breads and pastries, house-roasted meats, and delicious seasonal sandwiches. Past favorites include house-cured salmon on pumpernickel toast, and a lamb French dip on a toasted baguette.
Birchwood Kitchen, 2211 West North Avenue, between Leavitt Street and Bell Avenue, Chicago (773-276-2100 or birchwoodkitchen.com).
Decadent pastries are preceded by meticulously concocted sandwiches (bacon, arugula, almond date spread, and goat cheese on grilled cornbread).
Floriole Cafe & Bakery, 1220 West Webster Avenue, at Magnolia Avenue, Chicago (773-883-1313 or floriole.com).
In addition to sammies, salads, and cold sides, the coffee and the boutique floral studio draw folks to this neighborhood shop. But back to the sandwiches. Build your own masterpiece: Keep it simple (tuna, grilled cheese, PB&J) or opt for the famous Mockingbird (turkey, Swiss cheese, and apples).
The Corner Market, 3426 Greenville Avenue, Dallas (214-826-8283 or thecornermarketflowers.com).
The indie Oak Cliff bistro and grocer serves a small selection of artisan sammies made with whatever’s fresh in the fridge that day. Hopefully, that’ll be the Texas pimento cheese and sprouts on sourdough or the chicken salad with walnuts and grapes.
Bolsa Mercado, 634 West Davis Street, Dallas (214-942-0451 or facebook.com).
The monstrous bacon, egg, and cheese Doghead Biscuit is an indulgence meant for sharing, but you’ll want to keep the garden-fresh Fried Green Tomato BLT all to yourself.
Parish Foods & Goods, 240 North Highland Avenue, Atlanta (404-681-4434 or parishatl.com).
Give thanks for the Gobbler: shaved, house-roasted turkey; Bubby Muss’s Ritz-cracker stuffing (why didn’t your grandmother think of that?); lingonberry coulis; and thyme aioli on a French bun.
Muss & Turner’s, 1675 Cumberland Parkway, Smyrna (770-434-1114 or mussandturners.com).
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