This California import reminds us that a lot of goodness can come between two slices of bread, and that a lot of attention should be paid to the bread itself. And though it's easy to assume that this franchise's "made-from-scratch bakery" moniker takes some creative liberties, it's true: Specialty's was founded on two basic principles—that baked goods don't have to be bad for you, and that "from scratch" is a non-negotiable. The result is a laundry list of sandwiches bearing the creativity of a gourmet shop with the pricing of your average Loop sandwich joint.

Vegan and vegetarian options include the New Peanut Butter, enhanced with whole cranberry sauce, banana and Granny Smith apple, and the Pesto Pesto, a layering of pesto, smoked gouda, cucumber, grated carrot, spinach and oven-roasted tomato on focaccia. Other dressed-to-impress sandwiches (priced $3.35 to $5.65) include Turkey & Curry on potato poppy seed bread, Thai Chicken with chili aioli and Chipotle Roast Beef. A sizeable roster of salads (available small or large) and two homemade soups round out the savory choices.

If the menu isn't a big enough selling point, Specialty's hits all the other lunch-shop nails on the head: Ample booths, floor-to-very-high-ceiling plate-glass windows and plenty of hardwood throughout graduate the cafe from grab-and-go to a spot deserving of every minute of your lunch break. The cookies, especially the milk chocolate chip, are amazing—that's not an exaggeration.

And while I'd rather concentrate on the eats, one of Specialty's most touted features is its website, which allows you to place an order for that day's lunch (or next week's staff meeting for 20) and pick it up without waiting.

Average cost: <$10

Centerstage Reviewer: Kate Schwartz