Green Chile Pies and Ice Cream's Frito pie: a (delicious) midway mess

PHOTO BY BEN HOPFER

SARDINE AND SQUID SANDWICH AT BARBACCO ENO TRATTORIA

What focus group signed off on this one? What Italian fisherman stranded at sea with a puny catch told Barbacco Eno Trattoria that combining sardines and calamari was a good idea? After all, if there's one thing Americans abhor, it's sardines. And if there's one thing Americans adhor even more than sardines, it's squid. But when all is said and cooked, Barbacco was wise to listen to the fisherman, and to unite fish and mollusk in one tasty sandwich. Maybe it's the Acme torpedo roll, or the spicy arugula, or Barbacco's housemade "roasted tomatoe condimento." Whatever it is, two tentacles up. (Note: it's only available when sardines are swimming.)

220 California, SF. (415) 955-1919, www.barbaccosf.com

TUNA AND EGG SALAD SANDWICH AT M&L MARKET

Maybe you know some routinized drone who alternates every day between egg salad sandwiches and tuna salad sandwiches. Maybe you are that routinized drone. Maybe on the seventh day, you need to rest. But maybe you're afraid to rest, and the fear of the unfamiliar prevents you from publicly uttering the words "grilled cheese" or "hot dog today." Those are the days to head to M&L Market, where they will make you a tuna-and-egg salad sandwich (together). But — beware the ordering protocol. Select your bread first or suffer the wrath of the woman known to regulars as "the sandwich Nazi." Remember, this is everything you know and love in one sandwich: tradition, paired with tradition, in an entirely new context.

691 14th St., SF. (415) 431-7044