Los Angeles has always been a sandwich town, with staples like Roma Market in Pasadena, Langer’s in Westlake, and Bay Cities in Santa Monica all worthy of decades of conversation — but there has never been a sandwich moment quite like this one before.

It has unequivocally become the summer of focaccia sandwiches, with makers from Silver Lake to Santa Monica turning to big panels of bread as a base for charcuterie, fresh cheeses, and other deeply regional Italian ingredients. Some are leaning into the thinner, crustier Tuscan schiacciata-style bread (perhaps to emulate one of the world’s most famous sandwich makers out of Florence), while others are going bigger, bubblier, and airier than ever.