Mamie Italian Kitchen

"Verdict: Mamie makes a solid focaccia panini, but there’s no reason to wait in line for an hour on the weekend to get one. We like the sandwiches at Tre Mani and Bread Head even better, and the waits are much shorter. When Mamie opened in summer 2024, we were thrilled that LA’s focaccia sandwich craze had reached West Hollywood. The breezy, counter-service cafe at Fairfax and Santa Monica offers thick Roman-style pizza slices, various cold case salads, and tasty paninis that work for a quick lunch. The sandwiches are the biggest sellers here, made with imported meats and cheeses on buttery focaccia that crackles with every chomp. There are 18 varieties on the menu (including six vegetarian options) but for first-timers, we’d suggest the Monaco with tuna and Calabrian chiles, or the Cardinal with turkey, roasted tomato, melted comté, and artichoke cream." - sylvio martins, brant cox, nicolas zhou

"Stuffing a big focaccia sandwich in your face is easier now than ever, thanks to places like Tre Mani, Lorenzo California, and All’Antico Vinaio. Mamie is contributing to the cause, particularly if you live or work near West Hollywood. This breezy, counter-service cafe at Fairfax and Santa Monica offers thick Roman-style pizza slices, various cold case salads, and paninis worth prioritizing. They’re made with imported meats and cheeses on crunchy, buttery focaccia that crackles with every chomp. Choosing one of the 18 sandwiches on the menu (including six vegetarian options) might give you vertigo, but we’d suggest the Monaco with tuna and Calabrian chiles, or the Cardinal with turkey, roasted tomato, melted comté, and artichoke cream." - Brant Cox

"Mamie, the five-month-old Italian sandwich shop in West Hollywood, offers a menu built on hand-made schiacciata bread. The owner, Mikael Choukroun, uses a traditional recipe from his Italian grandmother, resulting in a unique texture with a crunchy crust and light, chewy center. The venue operates like a European cafe and provides fine dining quality ingredients in a casual setting. Choukroun sources cured meats from D.O.P.-certified Italian producers and local farmers markets for vegetables, creating a variety of panini and pizzas. Mamie also features a coffee bar with Italian brews and a small market with Italian specialty products." - Andrew Watman

"It looks like hot focaccia summer 2023 is trending into spring 2024 with no signs of waning. New to the stacked sandwich scene is Mamie on Santa Monica Boulevard. The shop’s two dozen or so sandwiches are all prepared on house-made schiacciata bread using Italian-imported flour." - Cathy Chaplin