It’s not easy to make the perfect sandwich. I’ve given this a lot of thought.

I love the sandwich. To make and eat a sandwich, you don’t need a kitchen, utensils, or a table to sit at. I can carry one in my purse. There are endless possibilities. My beloved hamburgers (and even tacos) are variations on the theme.

I can trace my epicurean evolution through my personal sandwich history. As a 5 year old I was fascinated with a version I had at Mels Drive In (at this location in Berkeley), a sliced up hot dog served on a hamburger bun.

It’s been a journey from there, through McDonald’s filet o fish and the monstrosities I made as a 15 year old working in delis (too much of everything, meat cheese, avocado and veggies…almost impossible to eat) to the gourmet sandwiches designed by chefs that are available today in restaurants and sandwich shops.

Stag’s Lunchette makes a damn good sandwich. It’s owned by the proprietor of another of my favorites Bar Dogwood.

The atmosphere has the modern, hip vibe we’ve come to expect from the new places in Oakland.

They start with great ingredients and put serious thought into the filling/bread/condiment trifecta. I went on a weekday and had the Italian Fennel Chicken Sausage Panini, It came with heirloom tomatoes, mozzarella, basil red onion pesto, garlic aoili and greens.

It was very good and worth the eleven bucks. It was also so filling I did not need dinner!

Check them out, it’s a lovely little spot on one of my favorite blocks downtown. And do yourself a favor, don’t ask for substitutions! These sandwiches should be eaten the way the chef intended…