EXOTICA ON RYE

When it comes to the culinary cutting edge, sandwiches are often overlooked. But as big-deal chefs slice up sassy new fillings for hot new breads, this is starting to change. Trendy restaurants are serving all sorts of sandwiches--from delicate lobster salad on toasted chive egg bread at the Cafe in the new Four Seasons Hotel to meat loaf on Wonder Bread at Kate Mantilini.

Meanwhile, on the other end of the price spectrum, even more unusual sandwiches await the curious palate. Herewith a guide to some of the city’s most exotic sandwiches.

BASTOURMA

Any number of Middle Eastern delis make sandwiches with bastourma , the thinly sliced, cured and air-dried beef reminiscent of Italian bresaola . But at Sweis International Market, they actually cure their own meat. And that is only one secret of their sandwiches’ success.

The Armenian-style torpedo-shaped bun is firm and hearty (some places use flabby French-style buns) and the sandwich is packed with creamy slices of kashkaval cheese, ripe tomato and lettuce. Sweis also manufactures their own soujouk , the well-seasoned Armenian sausage, which they heat and serve in pita bread with melted cheese. The market has no seating.

Sweis International Market, 6809 Hazeltine Ave., Van Nuys, (818) 785-8193. Open daily.

BOUDIN BLANC

Barbecued boudin blanc is surely one of the Cajuns’ greatest gifts to gastronomy. At Warren’s Barbeque and Chili Parlor, there’s a haute version of this earthy link. Warren grinds pure white chicken meat, blends in spicy Cajun rice, then stuffs it into a casing that crackles. Tell Warren how hot you like your links and he’ll customize his “Boss Sauce” to suit you.

“Tender as a mother’s love” is the way Warren describes the hickory- and mesquite-smoked barbecued pork shoulder that goes into another house specialty--the Cleveland-style sandwich.

Warren’s Barbeque and Chili Parlor, 4916 1/2 W. Slauson Ave., Los Angeles, (213) 294-2272. Open daily.

CAVIAR

When you want to pamper yourself but can’t take the time for the gracious service at Le Bel Age or Nipper’s, pick up a portable caviar hit at International Food Center. Here, in fine Russian tradition, they’ll make up a red caviar sandwich for only $6. They cut thick slabs of sweet farm-style butter to put on a roll and then spread on the caviar.

More than likely, you’ll return to try something from the astoundingly varied deli cases. One case alone holds at least half a dozen types of sweet butter. In another are eight kinds of hams, a host of international salamis, roast pork, sausages and jellied tongue. In the salad section, you can choose from five styles of eggplant salads or spreads. And take along at least one of the home-made Russian desserts.

International Food Center, 7754 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, (213) 656-1868. Open daily. EGGPLANT

At Bezjian’s, a spread of smoky roasted eggplant on a huge circle of pita is studded with home-cured olives, garnished with pickled baby cucumbers, then rolled like a burrito to make a baba ghannoug sandwich. For another wonderful vegetarian sandwich, try Labna --yogurt cheese--in a sandwich with mint, chili powder and olive oil. To accompany it, select from among the 17 kinds of cured olives.

In the past, Bezjian’s has been revered for sandwiches on its own brick-oven baked breads. “We put the finished breads on racks, never in plastic or even paper bags,” says Jack Bezjian, the owner. “Any bag changes the bread’s texture.” But until Bezjian’s gets its oven repaired (in a few months, they say), they’re making do with acceptable commercial substitutes.

Bezjian’s Deli and Grocery, 4725 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, (213) 663-1503. Open daily. FALAFEL

Falafel Arax has the best shawarma and falafel , say Lebanese friends. But the bright, white fast-food shop also serves fine Lebanese-style sliced tongue or brain sandwiches.

There’s nothing complicated about them. The chef moistens the cooked meats (“These must be very fresh,” he insists) with fresh lemon juice and a little oil, layers them into a French roll with a shower of spices, then arranges the sandwiches on a double grill--the kind used for grilled-cheese sandwiches--until they’re hot, crispy and slightly flattened. A pink pickled turnip called torshi-left and hot peppers come on the side. Order the tangy tahn , a liquid yogurt drink, for a perfect combination.

Falafel Arax Sandwich House, 5101 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, (213) 663-9687. Open daily. SAUSAGES

The hautest dogs are found at Jody Maroni’s Italian Sausage Kingdom, a mere stand on the Venice Boardwalk. Jody’s spicy verbiage accompanies his nitrate-free links as he cajoles prospective customers to try before they buy. But this butcher’s son is serving up serious stuff.

There’s Yucatan--chicken and duck sausage ground with cilantro and serrano chiles--or the Sunday special, Chinese chicken and duck with peanuts, sesame and scallions. I’m not sure whether Jody’s fabulous grilled onions and sweet peppers really complement all these complexly flavored morsels, but they’re piled on every sandwich. The fresh, hand-cut fries are great with just about anything. More fantastic links include the Bombay bangers of curried lamb and Moroccan sausage with tangerines and currants.

Jody Maroni’s Italian Sausage Kingdom, 2011 1/2 Ocean Front Walk, Venice, (213) 306-1995. Open daily. TOFU

If you think the words tofu and burger don’t belong in the same sentence, sample Rosebrock’s tofuburgers before making your decision final. These subtly seasoned, meatless patties are good by themselves and even more delightful in various presentations. Try the pestoburger. (Rosebrock’s has hosted numerous pesto contests with renowned local chefs, and they do know their pesto.) Or sample the knock-your-socks-off garlic sauce on the maliburger. The whole-wheat rolls are substantial yet not too heavy. And should you show up with someone for whom meaty meals are required, Rosebrock’s does a mean chickenburger.

Rosebrock’s Tofuburger Cafe, 1697 Pacific Ave., Venice, (213) 450-9169. Open daily. VIETNAMESE SUBMARINES

The French left their Vietnamese colonies with a legion of trained baguette bakers, pate makers and charcutiers who added their own flavorings to sausages and deli meats. This culinary legacy inspired Banh-mi , crunchy rolls piled with Vietnamese-style cold cuts. They are sold on practically every corner in Saigon, and now scores of California shops specialize in them.

One of my favorite versions is at My Vi, a fascinating place to while away a lunch hour. At one end of the restaurant, people line up at a portable Chinese-style barbecue for take-out cha-shu and barbecued duck. At the other end, they eat “French submarines.” My choice was Banh mi dia --a marvelous sandwich plate of assorted Vietnamese-style cold cuts and pate with two sunny-side-up eggs in the center. A little salad of marinated carrots and fresh chile slices also comes on the plate alongside a huge fluffy mound of wonderful homemade mayonnaise. (The owner gave a discourse on his homemade mayonnaise, which began with, “You take a fresh chicken egg.”)

My Vi B.B.Q. Restaurant, 15709-A Crenshaw Blvd., Los Angeles, (213) 644-0700. Open daily.

Ba Le sandwich shops, a Vietnamese franchise based in San Jose, are most well known in the Vietnamese community. But neither the shops nor their food are consistent.

The Sherman Way shop defies identification as a restaurant unless you are familiar with the Ba Le name--the only thing painted on its window signs. The ladies behind the counter make extravagant sandwiches, piling on your choice of cold cuts, including pate gan (liver pate), cha lua (a smooth, lean sausage roll), French-style ham and ultra thinly sliced head cheese. Mayonnaise always moistens the bread and the final Asian touch is the garnish of sweet, spicy marinated carrot and radish and strands of fresh coriander. (The $2 combination sandwich, which includes a double serving of all the meats offered, is a good introduction.)

The shop has a small dining space and also serves a few Vietnamese rice and noodle dishes. Ba Le’s Chinatown branch is a walk-in snack shop serving pre-made sandwiches--not nearly as good. They’re rather light on the filling. There is also a branch in Monterey Park.

Ba Le, 18625 Sherman Way, Reseda, (818) 342-9380; 812 N. Broadway, Chinatown, (213) 623-28221; 127 N. Garfield, Monterey Park, (213) 265-2018.Open daily.

Cafe Givral is a typical Vietnamese cafe with loud taped French love songs reverberating throughout the room. Sitting there, you almost feel like an expatriate in colonial Saigon. Givral’s submarine is superb--filled with a well-selected mixture of cold cuts, delicate vegetables and herbs and lots of ground black pepper. A long list of coffee drinks and Southeast Asian-style sodas adds to the fun of exploring this place.

Cafe Givral, 9008 S. Garvey Ave., Rosemead, no phone. Open daily.

TORTAS

Mexican tortas haven’t enjoyed the notoriety of such other antojitos as tacos or enchiladas. But several torta specialty shops have opened recently, and I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of these substantial sandwiches.

Eating enthusiasts everywhere will keep going back for La Adelita’s outsized tortas de pavo (roast turkey). They bake their own special rolls every day and fill them with gargantuan portions of sliced roasted turkey sprinkled lightly with spiced pan juices. Sour cream, cilantro and diced fresh tomato are just the right accent. Adelita’s also make superlative carne asada and carnitas tortas . All are $2 to $2.50.

La Adelita, 1287 S. Union Ave. (at Pico), Los Angeles, (213) 487-0176. Open daily.

Chicho’s Tortas has just opened. You can watch the cook turning his chickens, turkeys and pork shoulders in the oven between filling orders. For the chicken tortas , he strips freshly roasted chicken meat off the bird and grills it. Meanwhile, he spreads the special roll with sour cream, mashed avocados and an almost translucent layer of refried beans, then assembles the sandwich with a garnish of tomato, and sends you over to the salsa area. Roast pork, grilled rib eye, turkey and head cheese tortas are constructed similarly, and Chicho’s scrambles up chorizo and egg tortas , too. Prices are $1.75 and $2.

Chicho’s Tortas, 11230 Garvey Ave., San Gabriel, (818) 442-9874. Open daily.

La Fuente, at the east end of the Mercado (1st Street at Lorena Avenue), offers a chance to savor the market’s color and watch the counter people assembling your food. I like the way they scoop out a little crumb from the bolillo roll to leave a well for the mound of filling and garnishes. Either red or green chili or succulent braised tongue are splendidly sloppy and spicy, and the chicharrones (braised, roasted and shredded pork skin) savory and appropriately chewy. (The buns tend to be a tad soggy, but they’re not too terrible.) Licuados , made from blended fresh fruit and milk--the Mexican version of a shake--are good to cool your palate if you overdose on pickled chiles. Sandwiches are about $2.

La Fuente, 3425 East 1st Street, Los Angeles, (213) 266-0747. Open daily.

Super Tortas serves what must be one of the city’s most refined tortas . And they’re right at home in the shop’s slick mauve interior. All start with ultra-fresh and crispy bolillos , minus the customary bean spread. (“Too heavy,” says proprietor M. C. Guerrero. But perfect cooked-from-scratch beans can be had on the side.) The machaca torta comes heaped with shredded beef, onion scrambled with eggs and topped with a fat slab of ripe tomato and garnished with vinegared chili slices. Ham tortas are amply filled and have a nice thick layer of avocado, perfectly trimmed lettuce and well-groomed garnishes. The pork or rib-eye is always freshly grilled to order for each torta .

Super Tortas, 360 S. Alvarado St., Los Angeles, (213) 413-7953. Open daily.

THE ULTIMATE

OK, so it’s half a state away, but if you find yourself in Sacramento, you will also find the perfect sandwich at Ambrose Heath, whose name was inspired by an English newspaperman who authored a small book on sandwiches during the ‘30s. The restaurant’s sandwiches are layerings of vibrant colors and textures, their ingredients hand-picked with extraordinary discrimination.

Much bread was tested before the owners found the ideal Napa Valley sourdough, a balance of perfectly textured crust and crumb. For the fillings, such finds as Delta crayfish or Chinese roast chicken with fresh long beans, sesame saute Walla Walla onions, roasted sweet peppers and mango relish are typical. And there’s nothing limp-wristed about the melted Brie with onion and mushroom ragout, Molinari salami and sun-dried tomatoes. Fresh-roasted turkey is even better combined with crisp Courtland pear slices, slabs of sun-ripened beefsteak tomato and homemade chestnut mayonnaise. The vegetarian sandwiches--like pan-fried eggplant with sweet roasted peppers, marinated artichoke hearts, spiked with sun-dried tomatoes and fresh basil blanketed with molten teleme cheese--are so good they’ll make you give up your favorite corned beef.

Ambrose Heath, 829 J St . , Sacramento, (916) 448-4526. Open for lunch Monday-Friday.