Restaurant review, Two-Fisted.

Saltie and Cheeky may sound like the headliners of some downtown burlesque show, or maybe Snow White’s eighth and ninth dwarves. In fact, they’re two new sandwich shops, a category that’s experiencing almost unchecked growth in these recessionary times. These two, though, stand out from the pack, mostly because they deliver something distinctive and delicious, in modest surroundings that are still imbued with their owners’ personality and passion.

First, Saltie. The space is white with blue trim, sleekly nautical, and lined with a handful of pointy stools uncomfortable enough to discourage undue lingering. But luxury isn’t the point. The joint effort of three seasoned alums of Diner and Marlow & Sons, the ultracasual spot was designed to be an escape of sorts from the daily restaurant grind. But its owners couldn’t forsake their refined tastes and creative impulses. So they bake all their own bread, source top-notch ingredients seasonally and locally, and construct signature combinations you won’t find anywhere else. Attempts at culinary categorization are futile, but if we had to give it a shot, we’d sum it up like this: Mediterranean-inflected, a little Indian, pickled, herby, a bit messy, with heavy veggie tendencies and a few blatant Britishisms, including Eccles cake and a first-rate pork pie.

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