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BEST POCKET OF CRUNCHY WONDERFULNESS
When one sends oneself on a mission to find the best falafel in Los Angeles, one quickly finds oneself on a journey from mediocre to bad to awful versions of the ubiquitous fried balls of ground chickpeas. That’s why we routinely come back to Falafel King, the beloved Westwood home of garbanzo nirvana. The balls, really shaped more like little patties, have a mixture of some dark-green ingredient. (Don’t ask, don’t tell is our policy.) You might think the sandwich is a little heavy on the red cabbage, but once you get the soft, warm falafel crunch with cool cabbage, you’ll see why people have been coming back here since they were UCLA freshmen. 1059 Broxton Ave., Wstwd. (310) 208-4444.
–Libby Molyneaux
BEST ROAST-BEEF OR PASTRAMI-DIP SANDWICH
If you know the Valley, you know how silly it is when wags from Westwood and Silver Lake rave that the (admittedly) stalwart Brent’s is the best deli on that side of the hill. Please. Country Deli, tucked up in northwest Chatsworth, with its Western motif and murals of old cowboy stars, and its outdoor dining porch that overlooks a lane of 90-year-old olive trees, is the wonderful secret the Echo Park types don’t know about. It’s got the brassy waitresses and front-desk gal, the piled-up blintzes and waffles, the smoked fish, the huge menu. But sandwiches are the thing. The juicy-yet-crunchy, salty-yet-sweet Monte Cristo must have 1,500 calories, so we go for the best and leanest: rare roast beef (get it with added tomato), or lean New York–style pastrami served on rye or as a French dip. God almighty, they pile up about four inches of beef or pastrami. It’s tender and moist. The sandwich is so tall, you have to bite first from the bottom, then the top. There’s no talking at first. The waitresses bring a pickle tray, so ask for pale, garlicky “new pickles.” Unlike the egregiously overpriced and overrated Jerry’s, with its icky, watery milk shakes and pointlessly expensive sandwiches, Country Deli’s sandwiches run about $10 to $12, and the shakes are thick and divine (order chocolate with fresh banana). 9901 Topanga Canyon Blvd., Chatsworth. (818) 709-5612.
—Jill Stewart
BEST WHO NEEDS MEAT? SANDWICH
Biting into La Brea Bakery’s artichoke heart sandwich is like sipping a wine whose flavorings can only be articulated as hints. With the sandwich, of course, it’s a bit more obvious: the ’chokes, marinated in olive oil and rosemary, are surrounded by ricotta cheese, arugula and pesto, stacked between slices of the bakery’s renowned black-olive bread. The combo is subtly sublime, both lean and robust, the slightly acidic bite of the artichoke providing a tangy oomph, the arugula adding just a slightly bitter edge that is balanced by the sweetness of the ricotta, while the occasional meaty olive makes you forget you’re eating vegetarian. The pesto, somewhat ironically, remains a hint. Add all those textures — from smooth and tender to creamy to leafy to chewy — and, for $8, it’s the difference between bland and bliss. 624 S. La Brea Ave., L.A. (323) 939-6813, labreabakery.com.
—Tom Christie
BEST POUNDED HEADCHEESE SANDWICH ON THE WESTSIDE
If you live in East Los Angeles, you’ve probably come across the cemita, a Mexican sandwich in which a pounded and fried cutlet (chicken, pork or beef milanesa) is placed on a roll of sesame seed–studded egg bread, along with cheese, onions, avocado and red salsa. It’s a combination that’s difficult to dislike, unless you’re on the Atkins diet, or, really, any diet whatsoever. There are few spots on the Westside that make cemitas, but you’ll do well to get yours at the lunch-only Cemitas Poblanas truck on Venice Boulevard in Culver City, which parks every afternoon in front of the Smart & Final. The sandwiches, which originated in the region of Puebla, will run you about five bucks, but are big enough to power you through a 12-hour day of hard, manual labor. The cemita is also a beautiful blend of textures, mixing crunchy, creamy and tender into just about every bite. For the more adventurous, they also offer a headcheese cemita, which will give you a much softer, luscious and more sensual dining experience (if you like to make out with your sandwich, order the headcheese). You can dine curbside, or bring your cemita into the office, where you’ll make everyone eating Subway seem incredibly pedestrian by comparison. 10113 Venice Blvd., Culver City.
—Noah Galuten
BEST STARCH SANDWICH
Porto’s pushes the limits of traditional sandwich making by stuffing a bread roll with a potato. Order up this classic and the masters will take a Cuban roll, add two potato balls stuffed with seasoned ground beef, and top them with Swiss cheese, mayonnaise, mustard, lettuce and tomato. In one bite you get a mix of crunchy and smooth textures as the toasted bread gives way to the whipped potato and eventually to the seasoned ground beef. You are not going to want to share. Of course, no one will judge you for getting another sandwich. 315 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale. (818) 956-5996. Also at 3614 W. Magnolia Blvd., Burbank. (818) 846-9100.
