In the East Village, Zanzibar Café serves a few important purposes. It's an early morning fuel station for espresso-based drinks on the sidewalk patio, a midday lunch spot, and the bakery case has assuaged many late afternoon/early evening sugar cravings. There are over a dozen options for sandwiches, ranging from curried chicken salad to Mediterranean vegetable, but I struck gold with the turkey and avocado croissant ($9.95). More

Cali Baguette Express is more sub shop than typical bahn mi joint, offering 16 banh mi options—everything from Cajun shrimp to turkey pesto, rotisserie chicken, and even tuna. The usual suspects, like pork loaf with pate, are also available, but I always go for the BBQ pork banh mi ($3). And yes, just $3. More

If your favorite element of a sandwich is the cheese, it makes sense to get one from a place whose primary focus is cheese. In San Diego, that's Venissimo, a cheese boutique where you can get a fresh-pressed "Veninni", with Bread and Cie bread and any cheese in the display case for $6. For an extra buck, you can add some charcuterie like sopressata salami or prosciutto. A piece of fruit (apple, pear, or grapes), comes complimentary. More

In San Diego, burritos are still the most popular Mexican import but tortas are gaining a foothold. The new torta shop downtown, Bolillo Tortas, offers 17 different varieties ranging from ham and cheese to ahogada (a carnitas torta drenched in chile de arbol sauce). More

Short rib's fatty flavor profile makes it especially tasty with cheese. Saltbox's short rib grilled cheese sandwich ($11) is a solid argument in favor of the union of these two ingredients. The griddled sandwich on thinly sliced whole-grain bread is stuffed with creamy manchego cheese and juicy short rib finished in a New Orleans-style sauce piquant made with olive oil, tomatoes, and peppers. 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

The 1970s may have seen the growth of the organic food industry and environmental policy, but Delilah Snell did not grow up in the kind of home that placed any importance on eating organic or caring for the environment. Her parents worked at one of the biggest oil companies in the country and even at the age of 34, Snell is still the black sheep of her family. After taking a three-month master food preservation course, she started a fledgling small-batch business called Backyard in a Jar. More

Anyone who's been to doughnut shops in Southern California may notice how many of them are owned by Cambodians. After fleeing the killing fields of the Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge, many Cambodian refugees ended up in SoCal and though an interesting set of circumstances, got into the dough-frying biz. In this video, we meet a family who owns a shop in the Los Angeles area. More

Anyone who hasn't spent time in SoCal usually responds to the concept of "fish tacos" with a baffled, maybe disgusted face. The tasty grab-and-go meal (piled with cabbage shreds and pico de gallo) is a staple for locals, especially surfers. Here's a roundup of SoCal fish taco chains. More

Note: On Mondays, one of our various Market Scene correspondents checks in with what's fresh at farmstands, what's coming up, and what you better get while the gettin's good. Today, Leah Greenstein (SpicySaltySweet) drops by from Los Angeles. Take us to market, Leah! Brooks cherries from Ken's Produce. When I was a kid, I was allergic to everything red (or at least that's what my mother told me, my fiancé thinks she made it up). Tomatoes, strawberries, raspberries, cherries, and Kool-Aid fruit punch were all off limits. Fortunately, after years of miserable pizza parties and strawberry shortcake headaches, I grew out my food allergies. And what I found on the other side of antihistamines were tangy-sweet, ruby-colored cherries that made... More