Bread Head

LA is undergoing a full-fledged fancy focaccia sandwich renaissance right now, but even so, we needed only one bite at Bread Head to know this glass box of a sandwich shop in Santa Monica is doing something special. Their baked-fresh-daily loaves blend the best parts of focaccia and ciabatta with soft, airy innards and a crackly glazed crust that shines like a polished penny. If you visited Bread Head’s former pop-up, you know these sandwiches are big—a full order is roughly the size of a Macbook Pro—and not strictly Italian. Get the muffuletta with a thick mattress of mortadella and orange-infused olive salad, the milky mozzarella with avocado, sprouts, and za’atar spread, and an order of “picnic nachos” (pimento cheese plus corn chips) for good measure.