A year ago, local PR pro Sarah Thornton recommended I lunch at the Kitchen, a tiny café in the southwest Valley surrounded by office parks, industrial businesses and not much else. Turns out this place is operated by Soirees Catering, a well-known events biz.

The menu here leans Italian, with paninis, pizza and pasta, but I couldn’t look away from the sandwiches. The clear choice is the Kitchen Sink, aptly named with roast beef, ham, salami, provolone, lettuce, tomato, sweet peppers, caramelized onions and a fantastic oil and balsamic vinegar dressing that brings out the flavors of all those goodies. Everything was stacked on a formidably toothsome, tasty roll. The workers in The Kitchen’s ’hood should count themselves lucky; not everyone has a standout sandwich like this to grab at lunchtime.

Send Brock on his next food mission at [email protected].