The Premium ($7.49) from Toasters layers premium prosciutto with fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and roasted red peppers, all piled gloriously atop a ciabiatta brushed lovingly with balsamic vinegar and olive oil that's then "toasted" in a panini press. After eating this, I thought about it for the next week straight. More

The Godfather ($6.25) from Caruso's Deli in Salt Lake City is proof that nothing tastes as good as simplicity done right. The foundation of the sandwich is a sourdough loaf, baked fresh daily at Stoneground Bakery. It lends the right resistance when biting down and sourdough tang to complement the salty, creamy flavors of the sandwich innards: turkey, roast beef, bacon, and provolone. The thinly sliced meats, chewy bacon, and melty cheese make you wish you had ordered a second loaf. More

I'd never given much thought to Salt Lake City as an Italian food destination, but Tony Caputo's is a mighty fine Italian market, with any kind of cured meats, cheeses, pastas, tomatoes, and imported goods you can imagine. At the sandwich counter, you can't go wrong with 'The Caputo' ($8.25)—prosciutto, mortadella, and salami layered with provolone, plus lettuce and tomato More

It sounds like a novelty stunt, or a Primanti's knockoff--Belgian frites and fried merguez sausage and tons of sauce in a bun, served at Belgium native Pierre Vandamme's fries-and-waffles shop, Bruges. But it's a classic friterie sandwich called a "mitraillette," directly translated to "machine gun"--and a far more refined sandwich than the description lets on. More

New York is a legendary pizza town. New Orleans has some serious sandwich credibility (po' boys and muffulettas). Check and check. But when searching for the best bites all over the country this year, we found some surprises—mind-blowingly tasty foods thriving in regions we didn't really expect at first. Breakfast pastries in Salt Lake City, hot dogs in Tuscon, and more. More

There are two kinds of dressed-up French toast: French toast with stuff on it, and French toast with stuff in it. I generally find myself more a fan of the latter, so I loved the Jule Kake French Toast ($8.49) at Finn's in Salt Lake City, which might be called a Scandinavian diner. Here, the "Norwegian Christmas Bread" is laced with raisins, citron, cardamom, ginger, and cinnamon, dipped in a simple creamy-eggy batter and griddled golden brown. More