CDC Cafe, Kansas City

The CDC Café chefs build sandwiches from scratch each and every day. Sourdough paninis are a shop specialty, pressed with gourmet fillings like grilled chicken, bacon, avocado, and Monterey Jack cheese. Fresh, light rye bread, meanwhile, holds all the fixings of a traditional reuben sandwich: slow-roasted corned beef, sauerkraut, thousand island dressing, and Swiss cheese. Not in a sandwich mood? The chefs pile the same ingredients atop flatbreads and tuck them into omelets. For bigger appetites, they also create a handful of heartier entrees, such as baked spaghetti or parmesan-breaded tilapia.

While they eat, guests can relax inside the welcoming café, which offers complimentary Wi-Fi to all patrons. Or, they can enjoy their favorite panini or flatbread on their own turf, since CDC Cafe also caters, delivering food for office luncheons, family parties, neighborhood food fights, and other special events.