Bánh Mì

Philadelphia is one of the best cities in the country for bánh mì. The Vietnamese community along the Washington Avenue corridor — from South Philadelphia's Italian Market east toward the stadiums — has produced a cluster of bakeries and restaurants where the baguette is baked fresh daily and the assembly is textbook. Walk a few blocks here and you'll pass multiple spots with pâté, pickled daikon and carrot, cilantro, and jalapeño all in one sandwich.

The difference between a forgettable bánh mì and a great one lives in three places: the bread (crackly crust, airy middle, baked same-day), the pâté (rich, made in-house, generous), and the protein. The three spots below each do at least two of these exceptionally well, and all three sit close enough together to make a crawl.