Larchmont is one of those blocks that hardly seems like it’s in Los Angeles, provided you aren’t tremendously familiar with Los Angeles. In truth there are plenty of them, tucked here and there and lined with trees and shops that might reasonably be described as ‘quaint.’ Usually a franchise or two as well, but that’s to be expected. My original destination was a deli around the corner from Larchmont Village Wine and Spirits, but finding that closed I ended up in the wine shop. As my luck would have it, it was after the hour they stop making sandwiches. Quaint, remember? There were a few sandwiches left over from the day, however, and the proprietor offered them in consolation. They hadn’t been sitting there long, but with little description beyond “turkey on a baguette” and “salami on olive loaf,” I had little idea what to expect. But what’s sandwich enthusiasm without a little blind faith? The leftover sandwiches would do fine.

As it turned out, the above sandwich is turkey, Gruyere cheese, mixed greens, tomato, a sun-dried tomato spread that was more mayo than tomato, and oil and vinegar. That’s a fine lineup, neither overly complicated nor pedestrian. The Gruyere had a wonderfully nutty flavor, and the balsamic was a quality addition.

The salami on olive loaf was of similar composition, with manchego cheese in place of the Gruyere. Quite different from the turkey but equally successful, with the spice of the salami paired with the more fruity flavor of the cheese and the balsamic rounding things out. I don’t know if I’ve ever had mystery sandwiches as good as these, and I’ll undoubtedly revisit Larchmont Wine Spirits and Cheese during regular sandwich counter hours to see what else is on offer.