Sub Prime

Pedigreed sandwiches are all the rage. So, too, are renegade eating operations. Now, the Bay Area has a brilliant new endeavor, Porcupine, that combines the best of both trends.

Every Monday from 5 p.m. until they run out, two industry veterans, Chris Douglas and Cam Fraser, turn Z's, an Alameda bar, into a deliciously holy union of the city's current mania for sandwiches and pop-up restaurants.

There are always a few sandwiches on offer, and two have already become regular players. One is a meatball sub on a Moroccan spirit quest: Turkey, pork and Mexican chorizo are seasoned with Douglas' homemade ras el hanout, then braised in a tomato-red pepper sauce, stuffed into an Acme torpedo roll and finished with mint- and cucumber-laced yogurt.

The other is a distinctly Northern California spin on pan bagnat (pictured), featuring tuna poached in Stephen Singer olive oil, set on ciabatta drenched in the same oil and finished with Serena olives, arugula, parsley and sliced soft-boiled egg.

Douglas's smart sandwich repertoire also includes short ribs with horseradish-daikon-cabbage slaw, and roasted butternut squash with sautéed Brussels sprouts and crema di balsamico.

The duo intends to expand Porcupine's reach into San Francisco. Lucky for them, their sandwiches are so inspired--and primally satisfying--that Porcupine should long outlast the trends that spawned it.

Z's Cocktail Lounge, 1403 Encinal Ave., Alameda; 510-749-9900 or zscocktaillounge.com