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I believe in America. I also believe in America's Italian delis, more specifically one found in the unlikeliest of places: Santa Monica. This being America, however, you do have to work hard and maybe even call in some favors for your lunch. The struggle to get your hands on one of Bay Cities Italian Deli’s enormous, delicious sandwiches begins in the parking lot: it’s that classic Los Angeles scenario, too many shiny expensive SUVs and too few compact parking spots. The traffic spills out onto Lincoln Boulevard, much to the dismay of beach-bound passersby. Instead of trying to organize the madness, the security guard on patrol talks on his cell phone and watches the gridlock with bemusement. Once you’re in the place, you’ve gotta elbow your way through hordes of oversize-purse-wielding sorority girls and their sweatsuited male cohort to snag a ticket for the deli counter. Oh, and good luck not getting distracted by the aisles and aisles of Italian, Spanish, Lebanese, Greek and other imported delicacies – is that Nutella I see? Oooh, oooh! San Marzano canned tomatoes! Is that – could it be – fennel pollen? Didn’t Mario Batali do something cool with that? Oh no, did they just call my number? Stay focused and jump to attention or else the guys behind the counter might pass you by: they’re too busy putting together generous sandwiches packed with Italian cold cuts, provolone, spicy pepper salad, and zesty dressing.
The most famous of these meaty wonders is The Godmother, a greasy marvel, with Genoa salami, mortadella, ham, prosciutto, and provolone encased in freshly baked, crusty Italian bread. The sausage sandwich is also pretty stellar: covered in tomato sauce and grated cheese, a grown man can take down the large size in one sitting, but he won’t be standing back up anytime soon. We're also partial to the prosciutto sandwich; you can choose from three different varieties of the thinly sliced cured ham: American, Italian, or super duper special expensive Italian. The deli counter also offers a wide selection of sides, salads, and other entrees like eggplant parmegiana and lasagna. We haven’t tried the cannolis yet, but we’re optimistic. Very optimistic.
Once you’ve got sandwich and fizzy French lemonade in hand, you can either park it outside at one of the cement tables and watch the absurd comedy taking place in the parking lot, or you can wander the aisles and marvel at the eighteen different kinds of anchovies, fifty different balsamics, a wide selection of good canned tomatoes, hundred-dollar truffle infusions and oils, cheeses galore, freshly made tapenades, all shapes and sizes of pasta, and a great wine selection in the back. They’ve got ladyfingers and amaretti and biscotti and lots of other cookie-like things whose names don’t really translate into English but probably mean “nun’s nipples” and “baby tongues” and other fun stuff like that.
They take online and fax orders, which might be convenient if you're stopping in for lunch during the week and don't want to spend your lunch hour waiting with the hordes. They also open at 9am Tuesday through Sunday (closed on Mondays, though - blast!), so go early on the weekend and pick up enough sandwich supplies for the week. We'll be there tomorrow morning, clutching our ticket and mumbling something about America, justice, and the honor of eating really good prosciutto.
www.baycitiesitaliandeli.com
1517 Lincoln Blvd.
Santa Monica
310-395-8279
Fax orders: 310-395-1575
Photo of The Godmother by HeySandra via Flickr
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The Godmother is, hands down, the best sandwich I have ever had in LA. The bread, the pepper salad in The Works... everything. So damn good. Great review! ©
The Godmother is, hands down, the best sandwich I have ever had in LA. The bread, the pepper salad in The Works... everything. So damn good. Great review!
i ususally get a warm bread to go and tear off chunks like it's cotton candy while i wait in line to pay. oh dear lord.
I always order a Caprese sandwich and add prosciutto. Lighter and yummier than the Godmother, I find.
Also- don't hold your breath on the cannolis. I was very disappointed- there was nothing authentic about them (although they did, at least, have the sense to fill the shells when you order them- none of that soggy shell mush!). It's a great deli- not a good Italian pastry shop though.
Has anyone been able to find a good cannoli in LA?
I second that comment on finding good cannoli in LA - my boyfriend is from Jersey, and thus loves cannolis almost as much as he loves his mother, but despairs of ever finding good ones here.
Although Mario's Italian Deli in Glendale (another Jonathan Gold-recommended spot) has some that come close.
Yes, Nick V and I grew up together from elementary school until the end of high school. We hung out and were in academic quiz bowl together. Good time and good memories. Its cool to see how small the world is thanks to the internet. Tell Nick I said hey.
Damnit, Carrie, why'd you have to go blurting this one out? The lines are bad enough already!
This recently replaced Abbot's Habit as the best sandwich in LA in my book (a decision independent from the recent health closure at Abbot's). I've lived around the corner almost a year and am mad I only discovered it a few months ago.
The Godmother is tasty, but I dig on almost everything there. The caprese is good when you want something light, the meatball is good when you want something heavy, and they have Boar's Head meat, which means they make a superb turkey special. I usually go with the works sans mayo. Careful when ordering the works, because some menus have it listed as with both mayo and mustard, while others have it with neither. I think the guys who make it generally do it with.
Yeah, and that warm bread ... rediculous! Soooooo good!
Oh, the sausage sandwich. I am willing to wait an obscene amount of time for one of those wonderful beauties.
Thusfar, my favorite sandwich in L.A. is at Mario's in Glendale. Can someone offer a comparison?
One difference I can comment on immediately is that Mario's bread isn't freshly baked (at least, it doesn't seem so). Otherwise, the sandwiches are so amazing.
There's a twofold trick to the perfect bay cities experience:
1. Fax your order. If you time it right it will just be finished when you walk in the door.
2. Don't even try the parking lot. Street spots are easier to find on the cross streets than waiting in that hell.
the real key is to order online and park in the alley.
Agree with Ted and Alex - order online, try to find a parking space on the street (the parking lot requires patience and an easy-going attitude).
The Godmother is sublime (just finished one moments ago).
If you like capresa, you can pick up wet mozzarella by the olive bar, fresh bread (usually still warm) and salami (behind the olive bar). Unfortunately (and strangely) they don't have much in the way of fresh tomatoes. Usually there are a few peaked ones by the cash registers (where you can also *sometimes* find basil).
I'm also a fan of the olive bar, though they were out of the tangy and sharp Sicilians today.
The BEST cannolli in Los Angeles use to be in a little Italian deli in Hawthorne across from where Hawthorne High. The. Best. They even had chocolate-filled cannolli, with chocolate chips, something I've never found anywhere else. They moved to Torrance and you'd think that the natives would've really been into it! Alas, not to be. Currently, there's a little Italian restaurant on Restaurant Row off La Cienega, a little bit south of Wilshire, that's fairly good.
Great review. Now bring some of that great Italian bread with you the next time you come home.