North, Milwaukee and Damen offers nearly any variety and level of dining. What’s left to do but make a hybrid of upscale quality with take-out convenience? Birchwood Kitchen has made a congenial sandwich parlor for those who want something nice, but not slow.

While a number of expected sandwiches make their appearance on the menu, Birchwood offers a few tasty curveballs. On the cold side, offerings vary from a speck (prosciutto) sandwich with celery root cream and truffle oil for $8.75, to a goat cheese sandwich stuffed full of bright piles of beets, with walnut pesto and citrus arugula rounding out the flavor for $8.25. The most surprising might be the vegetable sandwich – its spiced cashew butter, carrots, pickled red onion and sprouts can win over even the staunchest meatatarian. On the hot side, the roast beef and blue cheese ($8.50) has big caramelized onion chunks to complete the savory taste bud attack, and the grilled gruyere has its cave-aged namesake matched with caramelized onions and Dijon mustard for $6.75.

A few salads are available for those watching the carbs, and a bakery case has cookies, lemon bars, and other delights for those who aren’t. For the weekend crowd, there’s also a small brunch menu, with quiche, smoked salmon, croquet madame, and other items available for $8-12. And if you’re not of the teetotaler variety, you’ll be glad to know you can pair your sandwich with the appropriate beer of your choice – it’s BYOB, and there’s liquor store just a few steps away.

Average cost: <$10

Centerstage Reviewer: Dan Morgridge