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Ami Melamed, who studied at FIT, nailed the cheeky designer look for his petite sandwich chainlet, which prides itself on organic, locally sourced fillings, breads from Balthazar, cheese from Joe’s Dairy, and croissants from Ceci-Cela Patisserie. The restaurant’s cute name is all in lowercase, and his retro soda-and-sandwich logo recalls a fifties airport. Artistry also goes into the menu’s Mediterranean- and Middle Eastern–accented sandwiches, salads, and soup specials. Pressed panini, like prosciutto layered with mozzarella, arrive hot and gooey, and smoked turkey on ciabatta (plus various vegetarian options) comes smeared with nutty hummus. Salads, too, are notably fresh, like an arugula mix tossed with juicy plum tomatoes and toothpick-thin slivered carrots. While the narrow corner location in Soho has no indoor seating, just a stainless-steel counter and couple of stools glinting in the sun, Melamed’s 14th Street spot has a cluster of Danish Modern white tables and chairs where you can enjoy your bites. — AnneLise Sorensen

Middle Eastern turkey sandwich, $6.50; exotic tuna sandwich, $6.50; prosciutto and mozzarella pressed panini, $7