This newcomer to Somerville’s Union Square feels like it’s been there forever, thanks to a menu and vibe inspired by a New England general store. Central to such a place is the lunch counter, and Vinal General Store does not disappoint: This quaint bar staffed by friendly locals serves up classics like a Spuckie, or an Italian sub in old-school Boston dialect. On Iggy’s ciabatta bread, the Vinal Spuckie combines thinly sliced mortadella, salami, provolone, smoked ham, pepperoni, red onion, tomato, dill pickles, and “shrettuce” with a signature Hots Mayo and a smoky maple vinaigrette. It’s our new lunchtime favorite. When we’re hungry for breakfast sandwiches, however, we head next door to Vinal Bakery for egg-and-cheese on house-baked English muffins.

When M&M BBQ began as a food truck more than 30 years ago, it was called M&M Ribs, and those meltingly tender morsels of meat are a menu mainstay for good reason. But since opening up a counter-service outpost inside Dorchester Brewing Company, the third-generation family business has added several sandwich options, showcasing their ’cue and more. Order up the Geneva Ave for shredded beef brisket with smoked cheese sauce; or try the pitmasters’ take on fried chicken sandwiches. Then get yourself a house-brewed beer—Neponset Gold golden ale goes great with the brisket, and the crushable Galaxy Lights Session NEIPA would pair well with hot honey-drizzled chicken—and claim a seat on the roof deck.

You’ll find no shortage of fresh pastas, cured meats, and salty cheeses at family-run, North End market Monica’s Mercato & Salumeria. But one item in particular has us returning lunch after lunch: the Italian Sub. This version of the classic sandwich is gloriously decked out with thin slices of prosciutto, mortadella, and Genoa salami. All of that meat—plus provolone, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, hots, and drizzles of olive oil and balsamic vinegar—is piled between a roll freshly baked on-site. This well-proportioned stack is a generous portion, and a perfect picnic to take on the nearby Greenway.

A day-one dining option at Somerville’s eclectic Bow Market, Hot Box is a one-stop shop in Union Square for two regional specialties: lacy-edged South Shore-style bar pizza and hulking North Shore-style roast beef sandwiches. From the minds behind the masterful breakfast sandwich at Mike and Patty’s, the walkup shop’s beefy three-way lights up all the right boxes. Layers of thinly sliced Angus are doused in piquant BBQ sauce, melding with melty American cheese and mayo, all atop a soft, onion-flecked roll. Two sizes are traditional; choose Junior or Super Beef, depending on how many other Bow Market vendors you’re set to sample.

For nearly 40 years, Michael’s Deli has offered authentic New York corned beef and more in the heart of Brookline. The Coolidge Corner deli remains as busy as ever, with locals and visitors alike coming in to sample the award-winning corned beef sourced straight from the Bronx, cooked and thinly sliced in-house to be piled high between soft slices of cissel (Jewish rye bread) or pumpernickel. Besides the signature from the so-called Corned Beef King, we love the beefed-up Reuben with tangy sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, and Russian dressing; and the extra-lean Romanian Pastrami.