When Robyn and I were in Phoenix, we stopped at Pane Bianco before our dinnertime pizzas at Pizzeria Bianco. The caprese sandwich sounded unnecessary in theory given our tomato-cheese-starch-based meal in just a few hours, but that was so entirely false. The slices of bright tomato slices from a local Arizona farm are paired with crisp basil leaves and freshly pulled mozzarella. And no matter which sandwich you get, the bread is one of the best parts: the straight-from-the-wood-fired-oven circular loaves have just the right chew, dotted with charred crispy spots on top. More

This Caprese sandwich from 30th Street Cafe is proof that a few quality ingredients are all you need to make an excellent sandwich. It's made with fresh mozzarella, herbaceous pesto, tomato slices and vinaigrette, served on your choice of bread (as a traditional sandwich or a panino). I upgraded my bread to a fresh-baked, flaky croissant ($1 extra)—it was the right call. My only regret was agreeing to split it. More