Pressed Sandwiches

Pressed sandwiches just taste better, claims Laurence Wintersteen, founder of an eatery that tells it like it is: Pressed Sandwiches.

‘‘You can use simple, great ingredients,’’ he says, ‘‘and the heat melds the ingredients together and brings out the flavors.’’ Wintersteen opened his first store a year ago, in Boston’s financial district, and just opened his second shop in Central Square in Cambridge. Sandwiches range from $2.50 for and egg-and-cheddar breakfast sandwich on brioche to $6.25 for Southwest Beef, a concoction that includes guacamole and spicy cheddar jack. Great bread is obviously important, and the restaurant uses several varieties, including a terrific ciabatta from Clear Flour for its best-selling Cuban sandwich, along with a country white, multigrain, and addictive parmesan focaccia rolls from Fireking Bakery.

Wintersteen notes that vegetarian sandwiches are especially popular at the Cambridge store, including the grilled portabella mushroom with herbed goat cheese on multigrain. The space is small and attractive, with an artichoke theme to the pictures and décor. Save room for the surprisingly tasty pressed dessert sandwich: Gelato on brioche, an intriguing blend of hot and cold.