Oh, I know, it's summer and I'm supposed to be talking about light sandwiches lovingly layered with garden-fresh fare, warmed by the season's sun, and served with the sounds of wild peach-faced love birds.

Well not today.

Today is about hearty. Today is about meat and egg and slaw and sturdy bread and a sandwich that won't leave you wasting away in the heat.

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Greek and (especially) Mexican food are standards on the Valley's culinary scene, but it's a rare occasion when they're spotted in the same dish.

Enter the Mexican Gyro, a mash-up sandwich of the most mighty and mouthwatering kind.

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How do I tell my friend I hate his band? Am I taking the right vitamin supplements? What the hell do I do with the $35 Aunt Mary sent me for my birthday?

Life's complicated enough. The last thing anyone needs is another decision to make -- like where should I go for one of the best Italian subs in Phoenix.

The needs have already been identified: Fresh bread, decent ingredients, and cheap. So allow me to make this decision an easy one.

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It's no secret that good bread is the foundation for a great sandwich.

Golden and crusty and full of flavor, its aroma, especially when baking, can make us forget the troubles of the day -- at least for a while.

And if you're in search of a sandwich in Sunnyslope -- a huge, meat- and cheese-packed sandwich in Sunnyslope -- there's a spot where you can watch it come together in flame-flickering, wood-fired perfection.

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Get This: Cochinita

I'm convinced there's not many things in life a well-made torta can't cure. Bad day? Torta. Un-friended on Facebook? Torta. Walking around with a piece of torta in your teeth? Torta.

Monster-size and cheap, these popular Mexican sandwiches -- stuffed with meat, thick slices of ripe avocado, pickled jalapeños, lettuce, tomato, and mayo -- deliver in size as well as flavor. And the soft, round telera bread is nothing short of heavenly.

Here in the Valley, there are lots of places to score tortas. But when it comes to the cochinita, there's only one place I'll go.

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Chili. Cheddar. Chicken. Alone, these words are commonplace, but together they make a simple yet delicious sandwich that's a bit of a tongue twister: the green chili cheddar chicken melt.

We're not talking fancy here, just good eats and great ingredients. Plus, roasted green chilis -- is there anything they can't do?

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Like a Cuban cigar, a decent Cuban sandwich can be tough to find.

A take on mixto sandwiches in Cuba and an invention of cigar workers in Tampa's Ybor City in the early 1900s by Spanish, Italian, and Cuban immigrants fleeing poverty to seek new lives in America, the main ingredients of the Cuban sandwich (along with pickles, Swiss cheese, and mustard) take cues from each group: glazed ham from the Spaniards; bread and pork from the Cubans; and salami from the Italians.

When done right and avoiding blasphemous ingredients such as lettuce, mayo, and tomato (which dilute the flavor), this recognized and revered sandwich can be a traditional treat. And there's a decent one to be had right here in the Valley.

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Great, gobble-y goodness.

As holidays go, I love Thanksgiving. There are no gifts, no decorations, and unlike those Sunday holidays (thank you not, Easter), I get a day off from work.

And like a lot of folks, I enjoy Thanksgiving food. So much, in fact, I find it a shame that it only happens once a year.

And then I found this sandwich.

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