Any ode to summer must include a tribute to the sandwich, as ubiquitous to the season as bug spray, suntan lotion and sock-free living.

So as we teeter on the threshold, it seemed the perfect time to visit the Misquamicut Sandwich Company in Westerly, which has set up shop in the space formerly home to FRA’s, a much loved Italian deli originally run by Frank Algiere and his daughter, Joyce Amedeo.

This latest incarnation has an open, clean dining area, sparsely decorated and filled with natural light. The service counters sit to the right, with menu boards behind boasting the regular offerings and the day’s specials.

It seems to be an example of a current trend: earnest young people using quality ingredients to construct amazingly creative, if a tad pricey, sandwiches. As a sandwich fan, I’m hoping the trend continues for a long time to come.

The regular menu starts with breakfast, which Misquamicut Sandwich Company serves all day — New York bagels or large English muffins either turned into egg sandwiches or spread with cream cheese, hummus or jam from Pelloni Farm in nearby Hopkinton, R.I. The egg sandwich ($5.50) begins with two eggs and cheese to which a diner may add the usual bacon or sausage but also olive tapenade, roasted red peppers or tempeh bacon, among others. (Additions range from 50 cents to $1.50.)

The vegetarian-friendly menu includes such options as a grilled pesto-marinated portobello mushroom on a sesame roll ($7.95) and a housemade veggie quinoa burger ($8.95) on its regular menu. They’ll make your sandwich on a gluten-free roll or wrap for an additional dollar.

Our first visit was for takeout. I called and ordered two sandwiches, Korean Pork and a Muffuletta, each $8.95, and they were ready and waiting at the time promised.

The menu description for the Muffuletta speaks of ham, Genoa salami, capicola (a dry-cured Italian pork cold cut) and provolone topped with giardiniere (Italian pickled vegetables) and olive tapenade on a sesame seed roll and that’s exactly what we found in one of the tidy, parchment-wrapped parcels in our white paper bag.

The roll was tender yet sturdy, and flavorful enough to stand up to those bold ingredients. The giardiniere provided a spicy crunch to complement the salty, tangy tapenade and the rich, nutty cheese.

The Korean Pork — roasted pork topped with kimchi and Gruyère cheese on grilled multi-grain bread — was no wallflower either. The travel did not improve this sandwich. The bread became soggy, making eating it a bit uncivilized, but I enjoyed every messy bite.

A generous pile of thinly sliced, sage-scented roast pork was topped with spicy, salty, garlicky kimchi (a fermented vegetable slaw), perfect with the bold Gruyère. The large dill pickle spear on the side was crunchy and delicious.

On our next visit, we ate in the dining room, where we enjoyed free Wi-Fi and funky world music playing softly in the background. This time, we chose the BBQ Beef and Onion Melt and, from the shop’s selection of gourmet grilled cheeses, one with brie and bacon, each $8.95.

Slices of a rustic white bread enclosed a nice portion of sliced roast beef that was bathed in a smoky barbecue sauce, topped with melted cheddar, and best of all, accompanied by a pile of “BBQ onions,” red onions that had been cooked to perfect, sweet succulence. So good.

The grilled cheese, also on rustic white, was served alongside a little cup of Pelloni farms vanilla pear jam for dipping. The bacon’s meaty, crispy saltiness and the brie’s creamy, mild, vaguely-mushroomy flavors simply blossomed when paired with a bit of that sweet, very vanilla jam. Just delightful.

If you follow Misquamicut Sandwich Company on Facebook, they will regale you with their daily specials, a mouth-watering selection that on recent days included a Quinoa, Sweet Corn and Black Bean Salad; a Steak, Egg and Cheese Wrap with Hot Peppers and Cheddar; and a Fresh Roasted Albacore Tuna Melt with Bacon and Vinegar Peppers.

The shop also offers a selection of juices, seltzers and cane sugar sodas, fancy chips and homemade cookies and baked goods.

j.blanchette@theday.com

Twitter: @2Petunia

Misquamicut Sandwich Company

Shorecrest Village Plaza57 Shore Road, Westerly(401) 637-4910; www.facebook.com/misquamicutsandwichco

Cuisine: Upscale, specialty sandwiches

Atmosphere: Shopping center chic

Service: Friendly, fast, knowledgeable

Prices: $5.50-$8.95

Hours: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily

Credit cards: Yes

Reservations: No

Handicapped access: Steps up onto the porch, then everything on one level. Must weave through kitchen to get to restroom, which is clean and spacious.